Tales of Phantasia: Teishi ni Hikkakamasu
by Ayame Majikku
Summary: A young man with no memory wakes up in a deathzone. Help finds him, but just who is he? What happened to him before? He finds himself wrapped up in much more than he ever imagined... or was he already in it? ArcheChester, ClessMint, ToP & ToS spoilers
1. Nameless Man

Okay, some things to start off with about this fanfic (just skip this if you don't care).

Another couple is Klarth and Milard (I didn't have room to put them in the description). Also, I changed the summary from ArcheChesterOC to ArcheChester because I think that was confusing people. So instead I put the main couple out there... but I must warn you about some Chester/OC stuff in the future.

Second of all, sorry for the Tales of Symphonia characters not being as strong as normal... this is a Tales of Phantasia fanfic. The Tales of Symphonia characters were added when I started typing this up, so they're not as powerful as they should be. Again, sorry (just be glad they're in here if you like Tales of Symphonia). Tales of Symphonia couples that will appear are Lloyd and Colette, Zelos and Sheena, and Genis and Presea.

Also, on that note, there _will_ be _major_ spoilers to Tales of Phantasia and Tales of Symphonia.

The titles of the chapters are character title names for the narrator that I've made up. So, as you'll see at the end of this small chapter (other chapters will be longer) that characters gain titles at the end of each chapter. The narrator will always gain a title (so I have a chapter name), and sometimes other characters will gain titles or even skills. Yay for game references!

Another important thing to note, I play the Gameboy Advanced version, so I'm used to the Gameboy Advanced names for all the people and places... I've changed all of the names of the main people to the more common version (Klarth for Claus, Cless Alvein for Cress Albane), but the town names and such I don't know... so please let me know if there's a more common name for a town or minor character (or something else) that you'd rather me use!

Also, on a random note, it's kinda weird having a guy narrator since I'm a girl... so I hope I do well at it... Heh...

And with that, please enjoy the story!

Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of Phantasia or Tales of Symphonia. They are owned by Namco.

**--Nameless Man--**

Where am I? Everything's so dark... and my body feels so heavy... I can barely move... Ouch, it even hurts to try... Something feels wet... and what's that rotten smell? There's something on me...

I push the thing up, but my strength seems to be shot. Somehow I manage to push it over enough to get most of it off of me, but the light from the sun is blinding. I cover my eyes with a bloody hand, waiting for my vision to adjust to the bright sky. Well, at least I'm alive... but then why do I feel so dead? Ah, my vision's returned to normal... I move my hand to push myself up into a sitting position. As I do, my body aches... every muscle strains with this small effort. Finally up, I take a look around at my surroundings. There are bodies littered all around me... bodies and blood. They look to be about my age, about seventeen or eighteen... The sight makes my stomach reel. I don't think I can describe it without throwing up... It's too sad and ghastly. I can't even tell what color my outfit is... it looks black and red. All I can tell is that I'm wearing pants with a long sleeved shirt.

I try to stand up, but I find it rather difficult. My body wobbles on my weak legs... I have to get out of here, though. I don't know what's going on, or why I'm here, but I have to get out of here... before I die as well. My stomach hurts... I think that's where the blood is coming from. Throwing my right arm over it, I slowly stumble out of the heap of bodies and towards a bunch of buildings... a city? Maybe I'll find safety there...

It's hard for me to walk. I glance around, looking for stick that can support me. I'm next to an ocean, on a beach. No branches. I slowly trudge out of the sandy area and up towards the plains, where there are trees scattered about. Ah, good, there's a nice stick... I slowly make my way over to it, but even that seems to take forever. With the stick in hand, I use it to brace myself as I walk towards the city. With every step, my head spins more... but I won't give up. I refuse to give up.

A few more steps and the world turns blurry. I stop and put my whole weight on the stick, unable to do anything else. I feel so weak... I hate this.

"...Hey! Kid!" a voice calls out, but only faintly. I can't even tell if it's real or not. My knees give in and I collapse into darkness.

--

"It was horrible... so many people..."

"Should we try identifying them?"

"We'd need the king's help for that, and I'm not about to work with that geezer."

Who are these people? I don't know these voices... Maybe I should let them know I'm awake... but this bed feels so comfortable...

"Maybe someone else around here knows them... Morrison-san, you said they looked to be in college, right? Maybe we should ask the people there about them."

"That's out of the question! The teachers are researchers for the king. Asking anyone at the college would alert the teachers, who would report to the king."

Feeling a little cold, I pull the covers up around me some more.

"Ah, look, he's waking up... maybe he'll know what's going on."

I finally open my eyes. There are many faces in front of me... do I know them? I don't recognize them at all... but that doesn't say much. They look blurry, but my vision is slowly clearing. We seem to be in a large white house.

"Hey there, are you okay?" one of the people asks. The boy looks to be about fifteen or sixteen, a little younger than me. He has spiky brown hair with a very small ponytail, and his curious eyes are just as brown as his hair. The shirt he's wearing is red with long sleeves and matching red gloves. There are many white buttons on his shirt, and a white ribbon around the collar that falls down behind him on both sides. He has blue overalls with brown straps and two swords strapped to each side of him. To complete his odd look, his blue pants were stuffed into red boots.

I nod to his question. "Who are you?" I ask so weakly that I can't tell if he heard or not. He smiles reassuringly to tell me that he heard.

"My name's Lloyd. Lloyd Aurion. This is my dad, Kratos Aurion," he said pointing to the person behind him. The resemblance is easy to see. While Kratos' hair is lighter, it's just as spiky and even more wild. He has the same brown eyes as Lloyd, except his are much more serious. His outfit is pure blue, and his shirt is dark blue with a light blue cross pattern on it. He has a white turtle neck collar, but over it and his shoulders is what looks to be a minor dark blue cloak; it comes down to almost his wrists in a point on either side, but in the back it goes all the way down to his ankles. He wears sleeves, but they're not connected to his shirt—his shoulder would be bear if not for the cloak. The sleeves are deep indigo with a dense white part at either edge. Connected to the sleeves are cobalt gloves that do not cover his fingers. He has two very large cobalt belts, the lower of which seems to hold his long sword. His pants are navy blue, and down where his boots come up are what look to be four more cobalt belts, two above each boot. He has blue shoes with a white cloth coming up from under them to wrap around his ankle and vanish under the boot belts.

All of these people seem to be wearing odd clothes...

"This is Colette Brunel," Lloyd continued, now indicating to the girl next to him. Colette has long blonde hair and eager blue eyes. She has a kind, yet worried face. She wears a white dress, and over it is a cloak even odder than the one Kratos wears. There are four parts of it that I can see since I can't see her back right now. The front two parts are identical and go above the front of her plain white dress, leaving the center of the dress open to see; they each have a golden button with a blue line coming from three directions. The lines that go up stop barely past the button, but going down they each form what looks to be the design of a spear. The last two lines go inside and look like they would connected if the two parts came together there. Instead, the connection of the front two parts is only a little below the line. The other two parts of the cloak that I see cover her shoulders and go down in points about to her elbows. She wears a long, gold necklace that tucks in under the top of her dress. Her sleeves are pure white with a button at the end, and her dark blue stockings go into her white boots, which match her gloves perfectly.

"And this is—"

"Lloyd, you're bombarding him with too much at once. Give him some room," an older man says. This man has a turban over his head with bright red hair peeking out from under it. He has one large cape covering the upper part of his outfit and that comes down around his legs in the back. While I can't see much of his outfit, his arms are bare except for his brown gloves and four bracelets on his right arm. Most of his outfit seems to be either dark brown or tan. He has a red guard coming down from his belt between his legs. His pants are tan and seem to merge into his shoes. On his right hip he wears a bag. The strap goes up under his cloak. "All of you should get back to what you were doing earlier. It'll be easier on the boy if there's only one person here."

With some grumbles from the youngest of the group, most of the people left, including Lloyd, Kratos, and Colette. The last man to speak was the only one to remain. He takes a seat in the chair that Lloyd previously occupied.

"Let's try this again... my name is Michael N. Morrison."

I nod to show him I understand.

"What's your name?"

I pause, thinking. That's a good question... what _is_ my name? I... I don't remember. I don't remember anything before waking up in the pile of bodies. "I don't know."

Morrison seems to think about this answer before asking his next question: "Do you know anything about the bodies on the beach?"

I shake my head. "No. I only remember waking up in them... beyond that, I don't know anything."

Morrison ponders more. He then says, "You're lucky to still be alive. Those wounds were no laughing matter... you're still covered in red. If it wasn't for Raine's healing powers, you probably wouldn't have woken up."

"Raine?"

"She's another person that was in the room... you'll have time to thank her later. Right now, you need to get washed up. You're a mess. Can you stand?"

I pull my arms back and slowly push myself up to sit on the bed. I throw the covers off of myself and put one foot on the floor, then the other. I try to push my body up above my legs, but I still feel very weak.

"Do you need some help?"

"No... I'm fine." Maybe it's a lie, but I have to show him that I'm strong enough to do this. I try again, putting more effort in it this time. I manage to stand, though I feel very wobbly. Morrison nods. "There's a bathroom just out of this room, the first door on the right. Take your time. I'll leave some clothes in there for you."

**?? has gained the title of Nameless Man. It is a title given to one who can't even remember his own name.**


	2. Survivor

**--****Survivor****--**

He was right about me being a mess. I must've been in there for hours trying to get the dried blood off of my body and out of my hair. My previous outfit was beyond repair. I found where my main wound is... it seems I was stabbed in the stomach at some point. I wonder what happened...

Morrison left me a nice outfit, though it's kind of old-fashioned. Still, I like the outfit a lot. He provided me with a few options; I found two shirts that go together quite nicely. I have the turtle neck one on under the other. The undershirt is white, and strangely it ties behind my neck, making it look almost like a scarf when under my other shirt. The shirt over it is light blue with a dark blue band around all of the edges. The left side of it folds over the right side, and I have a yellow cloth to hold it in place like a belt. My sleeves are short yet loose, easy for moving in. I have bronze arm guards with matching gloves that don't cover my fingers. My pants are white and a little loose around my legs, but like the shirt, it's easy to move in. My shoes are dark blue, but I have a light blue cloth that wraps around the bottom of them and comes up past the ankle to connect leg guards to the boots. Morrison also left me a white hair tie. The mirror is too foggy to use, so I wipe part of it off with my towel. It's kinda weird... I have no clue who I am, yet I'm standing here now, with very long blue hair and light blue eyes. I pull my hair back and tie it up in a low ponytail. My hair's pretty thin, so it doesn't get in the way even though it's long. After fixing my clothes to make sure they're straight, I walk towards the door. As I reach the handle, I pause. Morrison left more clothes to give me a choice... maybe I should take those with me to return them. Deciding on that, I stack the rest up. There are all sorts of colors, from green to red to black. With the other clothes in hand, I walk back to the door and turn the handle. I enter the white hall and glance around, wondering where I should go. I turn to my left and return to the room that I had previously woken up in. This time, there's no one in there. I leave the clothes on the bed and walk back into the hall. It's a long hall with a few doors... maybe I should just follow it to the end. Morrison and the others have to be somewhere around here, right?

I find a set of brown stairs first. I descend them, glancing around for people as I do so. I don't see anyone yet, but a nice smell meets my nose. Food... is someone cooking? I follow the smell into a kitchen, where someone is indeed cooking.

This man is very muscular, and like me he has long blue hair. A dark blue ribbon holds his hair back near where his hair ends. His cobalt eyes watch the food intently, taking no notice to me. His white shirt is very small, not covering much of his muscular body, and it ties up on the sides, which seems a little odd. Around his wrists are two black bands. He has dark green pants that would be held together by a belt if the belt connected in the front. His brown boots have black tip and black ankles; the top of the boots are covered with a leg guard that continues almost up to his knees with two belts coming around his legs to hold the guard in place. The front of the leg guard looks quite impressive, with six outward bumps on each one. He stirs the contents in a pot carefully.

"Here's the rest of it, Regal," a young boy says as he carries over a cutting board with many chopped up vegetables. The older man nods, and the boy dumps the vegetables in the pot. The boy has wild white hair with a group of strands on each side longer than the rest of his hair. He wore a light blue shirt with a white edge. The white came up into an arc from the bottom on either side of the center, making a nice design. The sleeves are short, yet big and loose on him. Under that shirt he wears a dark blue shirt with longer sleeves, but still not long enough to reach his wrists. His shorts start somewhere above his belt line, under the first shirt, but I cannot tell where. The shorts are light blue with the same design as the shirt, and they, too, are quite baggy on him. Under that, though, he wears dark blue shorts that jet out just a little farther than the light blue shorts. His boots are dark blue with a light blue cloth that seems to also come up into a small leg guard. The boy turns to me with eager blue eyes. "Ah! Hello!" He runs over to me, excited.

"Hey," I greet. "I didn't catch your name before."

"My name's Genis Sage, and this is Regal Bryant," the boy explains. "You can't remember your name, correct?"

"Yeah, that's right."

"Do you remember anything?"

I shake my head. "No."

The older man, Regal, finally seems to notice me. "You must be pretty hungry. Dinner's almost ready."

"Thank you."

"I'll show you where the table is!" Genis offers. He hurries over to the counter where the plates are, but he's so small that he struggles to grab them all. I swiftly grab the white plates from out of his hands and easily hold them up. "I'll get these," I say. Genis nods and grabs the napkins and silverware, which are all already wrapped up. He hurries through the door on the left, and I follow. In the next room, there is a long, dark brown table with twelve chairs. There are five chairs on each of the long sides and one chair on each end. The walls are pure white with a few small paintings dotted here and there. I set the plates down on the table next to where Genis dumped the silverware. We then silently start setting out the plates and silverware.

While we work, I say, "I was looking for someone named Raine... She's the one that healed me, right?"

"Yep! She's my sister!" the young boy answers.

"I'd like to be able to thank her, then."

"She'll be here for dinner... We look a lot alike, so you'll recognize her."

With eleven places set, Genis thanks me for helping and then returns to the kitchen to finish making dinner. With nothing else to do, I take a seat in one of the chairs near the kitchen.

"That's a nice outfit," a familiar voice says. I spin around to find Morrison walking in from the kitchen. "You look a lot better now that you've cleaned up." He takes the seat next to me. "How do you feel?"

"A lot better, thanks."

"The first thing you remember will probably be your name, so let us know when you remember it. It'd be a lot more convenient than saying 'hey you'," he says with a touch of humor in his eyes and a grin on his mouth.

I grin back. "I will."

A woman enters next through the door on the other end of the room. She looks almost exactly like an older version of Genis. Her white hair is a lot more tame than the younger boy's and her eyes are wiser. She wears a white shirt, but covering most of it is an orange coat. It is outlined with dark blue, and the end of the long sleeves fold back to reveal that it's white on the bottom. The end of the sleeve pokes up almost to her elbow. Her pants are black with shoes that match the inside of her sleeve almost perfectly. Anywhere there is a circular indent in the cloth, there is a yellow dot on the cloth below the first. "Ah, you're out," she says as she notices me.

"Are you Raine?"

"Yes, that's me."

I stand up to be polite. "Thank you for healing me."

She nods. "No problem. I just wish we could've saved those other people as well... I wonder what happened to them..."

"I wish I knew, too..." I agree, though a part of me is scared to know. What was I doing there among those bodies? Something tells me that it won't be a pleasant answer...

The rest of the group follows soon after. Lloyd and Colette enter together, and both are quite anxious to hear how I'm doing. They sit across from me. Kratos comes in soon after and quietly takes a seat next to Raine, who is two down from me. The next person to storm in is a young woman, and following close behind her is a young man with long, red hair. The girl turns and yells at the man, and Lloyd tries in vain to get the two to calm down.

The woman has black hair tied up in a wild ponytail. She wears a purple shirt that looks much like mine over a small white shirt. Her sleeves cut off just past the shoulder to reveal dark blue sleeves under that. Purple cloth that matches her shirt starts up again on her arms to look like more sleeves. Her gloves ends in blue and does not cover her fingers. A blue cloth also wraps around her wrists. She has a long, pink ribbon around her waste to act as a belt; it ties in a bow in the back. A small red string ties in front of the ribbon to hold it together better. Her pants are dark blue, and her boots are mostly light blue with some dark blue on the heel and front of the shoe. Her brown eyes glare angrily at the man that followed her in.

The man has wild, long red hair and playful blue eyes. He wears a white headband to cover his forehead. He has on a black shirt and a long, pink coat. Wood and string held the coat like buttons in the front. His shoulders are bare, but he has long black gloves that almost reach his shoulders. On the top of his arm there's a pink cloth covering the black gloves. His pants are white with a white and gold belt. His short sword is tied onto the belt with a blue string, and two blue strings fall down from the sword. His shoes are white with gold on the toes and the top in a "V" pattern.

Once calm, the two took a seat at the opposite side of the table from me, though the woman did not look too happy about sitting next to the man.

"Ah, hello!" the man greets when he finally notices me. "My name is Zelos Wilder. And this girl next to me is my cute hunny—"

"I am _not_ your hunny!"

"Now now, no need to get excited my voluptuous banshee," Zelos says. He then flinches. "Oww, you didn't have to kick me!"

Ignoring him, the woman turns to me. "I'm Fujibaya—I mean, Sheena Fujibayashi. Sorry, in my culture, we say the family name first."

I nod my acknowledgment. "It's nice to meet you."

She blinks and stares at me more intently. "Hey, have I seen you before?"

"I don't know," I answer honestly.

"Hm... Hey, Morrison, what did you say he was wearing when he arrived?"

"It was hard to tell, but I'm pretty sure it was a school uniform."

"Could you tell what school?"

"No. Why?"

"I was just wondering if he went to the same school as my sister," Sheena explains.

"But wait, isn't Suzu-chan only eleven?" Lloyd asks, confused.

"Yeah, but she's been allowed to take a class at a college near here."

"No way!"

"You know, Lloyd, just because you have troubles with high school doesn't mean that everyone does," Genis says as he enters the room with some food. Regal and a young girl follow after him with the rest of the food.

"Hey, shut up!"

The new girl has long pink hair in ponytails that shoot out almost sideways from her head. She has blue eyes that seem only a little interested in the things going on around her. She wears a dark blue dress that is outlined with even darker blue; the dress comes together in the center. The dress has a tall neck and no sleeves at all. She has long, light blue gloves that come up almost to her shoulders. On the back of her hands of the gloves are silver guards. Her brown belt has a small dagger attached to it. Her boots match her gloves, even with the silver guard on her feet. She introduces herself as Presea Combatir.

Regal takes a seat in between Raine and Zelos, while Presea and Genis sit between Lloyd and Sheena. With the food on the table, we each start choosing what we want for our own plates in silence. I break the silence first when I ask Sheena, "What school does your sister go to?"

"Most of her schooling is at home in Japoni, but she comes to the city every Saturday to join a class from Alvanista City College. I can tell that she really likes her teacher and classmates there, even if she won't admit it."

"Could the students we found on the beach be from that school?" Morrison asks.

"Unlikely," answers the woman. "That school is the best in the world, plus it's in the capital city... It has more guards than the Morlia Mineshaft and almost as many as the castle."

"We should probably find his home quickly," Kratos suggests. "We should not bring him any further into this than we have to."

"Into what?" I ask curiously.

Morrison smiles kindly at me. "After dinner, it would probably be safest if you leave. You could get in trouble with the law if you're caught with us."

In trouble with the law? That seems unlikely. These people have helped me so much... "What do you mean?"

"We're a group of rebels," Morrison answers. "We're fighting against the king."

"Even after my healing, I don't think he's in good enough condition to leave on his own," Raine argues. "Besides, we don't even know who or what inflicted those wounds or if they'll be back to attack him. It's too dangerous."

"We should help him find his family," Lloyd suggests.

"And what if the king thinks he's with us? That will only put him in more danger," Kratos points out.

"I agree that it's dangerous, but until we know who's after him, anything's dangerous," Raine says.

"What if the king's after him?" Everyone turns to stare at the speaker, Zelos. "What? I'm just throwing out possibilities!"

"But why would the king be after, um..." Colette looks at me sheepishly, not knowing what to call me.

"Chester," I answer without thinking about it. Now everyone turns to stare at me. "I-I think that's my name. It just came in my head..."

"Chester, huh? All right, it's nice to meet you, Chester!" Lloyd says happily.

"Do you remember your last name?"

I shake my head. "No. Only that."

"Well, it's a start," Raine says. "We'll ask around... you should stay here until we know where your family is."

I turn to Morrison. "Is that all right?"

Morrison sighs. "Even if I say no, I'll have to go through Lloyd, Colette, Genis, Sheena, and even Raine. I guess as long as the king doesn't know you're here, it's all right."

"Thank you. I really owe you all a lot." It's true. If it wasn't for them, I wouldn't even be alive... and they're also going to help me find my family...

"Don't worry, it'll take no time with Japoni on the case," Sheena assures everyone. I must look confused, because she turns to me to explain, "Japoni has the best information network in the whole world. Nothing stays a secret from us for long. Once I tell the chief about the scene on the beach, they'll find out where you're all from."

We continue to eat, but the conversation turns to pleasant talk. I listen intently, but since I don't know much about them or myself, there's not much for me to say.

After dinner, each person cleans up their own dish and some grab other things on the table. We take them into the kitchen and put the dishes in the dishwasher. Morrison tells me I can stay in the room I woke up in while I'm here. The group disperses, each to do what they please. Lloyd, Colette, and Genis ask me to come with them. I accept and follow them into a hallway.

"So, what do you want to do, Chester?" Lloyd asks. "We can go outside and play, play hide-and-go-seek, play video games, watch TV... Oh, we could show you around this area. Maybe you've been here before. And you could meet Noishe."

"Noishe?"

"Yeah, he's my dog!" Lloyd explains. "He stays outside since he's so big."

"It's your choice as to what we do," Colette says to me.

"Why don't we take a walk? I'd like to see the area around here."

"Okay!"

They lead me towards the door leading outside, and I'm happy for it. I've been cooped up inside for far too long. At the door, Morrison stops us. "And where are you four going?"

"Just for a walk," Lloyd answers.

"We're too close to Alvanista. We can't afford for the king to think that Chester's with us. He knows your face, Lloyd."

"But—"

"Please stay inside for now. We should be able to return you to your family tomorrow, Chester."

With that option out, we decide to play video games. I must've played them before; Lloyd says I'm pretty good.

After a while, we separate to go to bed. I wonder if I'll get my memory back tomorrow... Maybe I'll get to explore some tomorrow if nothing else. Somehow, I still feel kind of tired. Every now and then my stomach aches from my wound, but it's bearable.

**Chester gained the title of Survivor. It is a title given to one who barely escaped death.**

**Chester gained the title of Gamer. It is a title given to one who is good at video games.**


	3. Archer of SpaceTime

**Edit: I just got the DVD of Tales of Phantasia and realized that they are officially called the Heroes of Space-Time. I have gone through and changed it for the whole thing. This is the first chapter where that change takes place.**

**Disclaimer: Like always, I do not own Tales of Phantasia. It is owned by Namco.**

**--Archer**** of ****Space-****Time****--**

I don't know how long I slept, but it couldn't have been long. I woke up to Genis running in my room, calling my name. I followed him downstairs, confused. We hurried outside, where most of the others are.

Now we're all standing outside, watching the mansion burn down.

"This is horrible..." Colette mutters. "Who would do such a thing?!"

Lloyd sadly puts his arm around her shoulder to help calm her down. "It's okay... at least we're all safe, right?"

Footsteps resonate behind us. We turn around to find a large group of men in full armor; I can't see any of their faces.

"We found you!" the lead one says.

"Knights!" Lloyd exclaims as removes his arm from around Colette and draws his two swords. Colette reaches under her cloak for a pair of chakrams, and Genis is suddenly holding a kendama. Raine holds a long rod and Presea has an axe, while Sheena holds a pair of cards up defensively. Zelos and Kratos each unsheathe a sword and Morrison a dagger, leaving only me and Regal with no weapons.

"Now, now... we're willing to leave you alone, too," the knight says deviously.

"Then why'd you burn the mansion down?!"

"We're willing to make a deal with you."

"A deal?" Kratos asks untrustingly.

"You have something his majesty wants... the Tracking Stone."

"I see, so you're looking for them as well," Morrison mutters. He then yells, "I refuse to give it to you!"

"That's too bad, I'll just have to—"

"S-sir!" one of the lesser knights interrupts.

The knight seems to glare down at the other knight. "Kid, you need to learn your place. _Never_ interrupt me."

"B-but sir! T-that boy..." the knight points at me, making everyone turn, confused.

"What about him?"

The young knight whispers something to the older knight, who then nods understandingly. "I see..." He turns to look at me. "You're Chester Barklight, correct?"

I nod. The name _does_ sound familiar...

"Is that so... Then I'm afraid we cannot allow you to live."

"What?! Wait, I was right?!" Zelos demands, surprised.

"But why do the knights want to kill Chester?"

"There's no time to ponder!" Kratos barks. "Lloyd, take Colette and Chester and get out of here."

"But—"

"There's too many of them. We'll buy you some time. Hurry! Take whoever else you need!"

"All right. Colette, Chester, Genis, come on!" Lloyd grabs Colette's arm and the four of us start running.

"Lloyd, catch!" Morrison yells. Lloyd spins around, but Colette's the one that catches the stone that Morrison threw. We continue running.

"Sheena, you go with them, too!" Raine orders. "Protect my brother."

"Gotcha."

Sheena quickly catches up with us, throwing her papers at any knights who try to follow.

"Fire ball!" Genis yells as he throws fire at another pursuer.

We continue running until we end up at a port. "Let's go to Miguel," Sheena suggests. "We can meet the others at Lone Valley."

"All right. I'll talk to the captain." With that, Lloyd runs onto the boat, the rest of us following. The captain agrees to take us, but for a price. Luckily, Sheena grabbed some money on the way out of the house. She pays and the ship sets out.

Safely on the ocean, we stare back at where the mansion was. "Do you think they're okay...?" Colette asks, worried.

Suddenly the clouds seem to part, leaving a part of the sky open. Large bubbles of energy shoot out from the space in the clouds, down towards our mansion.

"Oh no...!"

"That's—!" Sheena stares, surprised.

"What is it, Sheena?"

"That's Maxwell... but who could've summoned Maxwell?"

"Maxwell? Who's that?"

"Maxwell is a summon spirit. I hope the knights didn't summon him..."

We continue to watch even after the sky calms down, none of us turning away or sitting. We only flinched when the captain of the ship announced our arrival at the closest port to Miguel.

"Should we head straight to Lone Valley or should we stop by Miguel?" Sheena asks.

"Miguel. I would like to buy a weapon," I answer. "I want to help."

"But it's dangerous," Colette points out.

"I'm already in danger anyway. The knights want to kill me, and I doubt they'll tell me why. If we're both against the knights, then that means we're on the same team, right?"

Lloyd nods. "All right. Welcome to the team!"

We walk to Miguel. Monsters attack us on the way, but the others easily fight them off. I need a weapon or something... I'll get one soon. Then I can help, too. The town isn't too far off from the port, and we make it there in no time. It's a nice, quaint little town that easily blends in with the forest next to it. It has what looks to be a dojo in the northwest corner of the town and homes and shops littered around the city. We enter and start walking down the street, looking for the weapons shop. We cross a large stone bridge, where I stop to stare down at the water.

"Something wrong, Chester?" Lloyd asks as he and the others join me on the bridge.

"It's just... staring down in this water, I can almost see the faces of three kids..."

"Three kids?"

"Yeah, but I can't see much. I can't see their faces, and I don't know their names."

"Still, it must be a memory, right?" Genis offers. "That means you know this place! That's great!"

"Onii-chan!" a girl's voice yells loudly. A young girl with blue pigtails tackle-hugs me, almost knocking me off of my feet. Genis and Colette giggle at my confused look, while Lloyd and Sheena smile.

"Is this your sister? She's cute!" Colette says.

"Onii-chan! Is that really you?! I heard you were dead!"

"I'm fine, I'm fine... I would've been dead if it wasn't for these people," I answer. The girl stares at them, taking in the situation.

"Chester! This is quite a surprise!" another voice says. I spin around to find an older man walking towards me. Is he my father? Neither me nor the girl look much like him... "You seem to be doing well, unlike what we heard."

"What do you mean?"

"We got a letter saying you were dead. I couldn't tell who sent it, but we got it yesterday. Please, come in. Your friends may come in, too."

"Thank you," I say. We follow him into the dojo.

Inside, many people are sword training. One boy looks kind of familiar... he has wild blonde hair. I walk over to him curiously. The boy turns to me with curious green eyes. His face doesn't seem familiar at all... maybe I was just imagining things. I shake my head and follow my companions into another room, past the one where the students are practicing.

"So, Chester," the man says, "what happened to make someone think you were dead?"

"I... I don't know. To tell the truth, I don't remember anything."

"What do you mean?"

"Sometimes things, such as this city and my sister, seem familiar," I explain, "but I can't remember anything. I lost my memory a few days ago."

"Is that so... I guess you're lost as to what's going on, then," the man says. "My name is Miguel Alvein. My son Cless is your best friend. As you've already found out, this girl is your sister, Ami Barklight."

"This is great, Chester! We've found your home!" Lloyd assures me happily.

"Yeah," I agree. "Will you tell me more about who I am?"

The man nods. "Recently you and Cless went off to college in Alvanista."

"Wait, you mean he really _does_ go to the same college as Suzu?" Sheena interrupted, surprised.

"I don't know that name, but if she goes to the Alvanista City College, then yes. Chester has a lot of friends there."

"Wish we knew that while we were in Alvanista... we could've visited them," Lloyd says. "Oh well, at least you're with your family now." Lloyd stands up. "We should head on to Lone Valley."

"It's getting late. Are you sure you don't want to stay here for the night?" Mr. Alvein offers.

"Thanks, but we need to get going. Chester, you should stay here and get your memory back."

I stand up as well. "I said I'm coming too, remember? I still owe you for helping me and..." ...and the knights want my life anyway. I'd only put my sister in danger if I stay. I glance at her and at Mr. Alvein. My eyes then rest on Lloyd, who seems to understand.

"All right, if that's what you want. Let's get that weapon for you, then."

"Thanks." I turn to Mr. Alvein and Ami. "I'll be back... and hopefully I'll have my memory back by the time I return."

Mr. Alvein nods. "All right. Look for Cless—he knows you best, so if anyone can help you, he can."

"Where can I find him? The college?"

"No. I don't really know where he is right now... He hasn't written us in a little while."

"Onii-chan, be careful."

I smile. "I will."

Ami leads us to a house south of the dojo, where I live. Inside, I find a bow and quiver of arrows. I put both over my shoulder and we set off towards Lone Valley. We walk in silence for a while after leaving the village. Genis is the first to speak as he says, "Chester, are you sure this is okay? You could learn more about yourself if you stay."

"It's fine. Besides... they'd be in danger if I stayed."

"There are too many unanswered questions revolving around Chester, and it doesn't look like we'll get the answers there," Sheena says. "Right?"

I nod. "Yeah, they obviously don't know what happened to me."

We grow quiet again. We reach a small valley, where the others pull out their weapons. "There are typically a lot of monsters in this area, be on your guard," Sheena explains. I pull my bow off of my back and glance around for monsters.

"Here comes one!" Colette yells as she throws a disk up the cliff. The chakram throws the monster off, and it falls down the cliff. Not wanting to give up, it throws its claws at the girl. The swordsman of the group put himself between the cat-like creature and Colette, slicing at it with his swords. The monster falls.

Colette smiles. "We did good, right, Lloyd?"

"Yeah... you okay?"

"Of course! Let's keep going!"

We continue walking. I glance up at the high cliff and notice a large bird charging straight at us. Without a second thought, I swiftly grab an arrow from the quiver and notch it on the bow. I pull back while aiming and release. The arrow hits the bird's wing, making it lose control and fall near us.

"Nice shot," Lloyd says with a thumbs up.

"Thanks."

We exit the small valley and walk into a large city. "We should rest here for the night, Sheena suggests.

"What city is this?" I ask.

"Euclid."

We head straight for the inn in the center of the city. Lloyd, Genis, and I get one room while Colette and Sheena share another. I sit down on one of the three beds, tired.

"You okay, Chester? You've probably strained yourself too much with those wounds."

"I'm fine."

"It might be best if we change out the bandages... Raine always says that it's bad to wear old bandages," Raine's younger brother explains.

"Okay. Genis, do you think you can pick some up for us?"

"Why me?"

"I'm going to try calling Dad to make sure he and the others are okay."

"I want to stay for that!"

"You won't be able to hear what he's saying, though," Lloyd points out. "Don't worry, I'll tell you everything when you get back."

"Okay... I'll be back soon!" Genis runs out of the room.

"Don't trip!" Lloyd calls after him.

"Why'd you send him off?" I ask curiously.

"You noticed?" After I nod, he continues, "I don't know if Dad and the others are okay or not... I'd rather find out while Genis isn't here." Lloyd pulls out a cell phone and dials a number. He then puts it to his ear an waits. "Dad! You're okay!" I sigh with relief to hear him say that. "How's everyone else? ...That's great! Ah, that's right, what was that thing with the bubbles that came from the sky? ...Y'know, that..."

"Maxwell," I offer.

"Yeah, thanks. Maxwell. What was that about? ...Eh? Really? Is he still there? ...I know, I know... Oh yeah, we found Chester's hometown. He lives in Miguel. ...No, he decided to come with us. ...No. ...Yes. ...Yes. ...Euclid. We should probably meet up at Lone Valley... Yeah, where Sylph used to be."

Genis reenters the room with a plastic bag in his hand. He stares at Lloyd curiously.

"All right, see you there. Bye, Dad. ...Huh? Morrison? ...Okay, put him on. ...Yeah. ...Yeah. It's right he—wait, Colette has it. Hold on." Lloyd leaves the room and the younger boy and I follow curiously. He knocks on the door to the girls' room, and after a minute they open the door. The three of us enter.

"Who are you talking to?" Sheena asks.

"Morrison. They're all okay."

"That's great!" Colette exclaims.

"Hey, Colette, do you still have that stone Morrison gave us?"

"Yep!" The girl reaches into a pocket on her dress and pulls out the stone. Surprisingly, it's glowing.

"Hey, Morrison, is it supposed to be glowing?" Lloyd asks. "...What?! Really?! ...Wait, so who are these people? Ow!" Lloyd jerked the phone away from his ear and we all heard Morrison yelling. After the older man grew quiet, the boy slowly put the phone back to his ear. "What was that about? ...Yes, Professor Sage taught me history. ...Yep! You told us about that when we signed up. ...Now I'm lost. What?"

"This is getting annoying... can't you put him on speaker phone or something?" Sheena asks.

"My phone doesn't have that," the boy answers. "...Yeah, I'm listening," he says to the phone again. He pauses for a long time, trying to make sense of whatever Morrison is telling him. "...So this means that one of them is here, right? Wait..." Lloyd's gaze falls upon me. "You don't mean Chester, do you?! ...Uh-huh. ...Gotcha. We'll meet you at Lone Valley, then. Bye." Lloyd hangs up the phone to find the rest of us staring at him.

"What was that about?" Genis asks.

"It seems Chester's one of those people we've been looking for."

"Eehhhh?!"

"What do you mean?" I question, the only one calm at this point. They were looking for me? What for?

"That means he's one of the Heroes of Space-Time... one of the six that fought Dhaos, right?"

"Dhaos?"

"That means we've found two so far! Only four more to go!"

"Hey," I try to get their attention.

"That means we need to gather his power, right?"

"Hey!"

"Should we get the others first?"

"We're going to Lone Valley anyway, though..."

"Hey! What's going on here?!" I demand. Maybe I moved a little fast... my stomach hurts again now.

"Oh right. Um, let's see..."

"Twenty-nine years ago," Genis begins explaining, "Morrison's father was in a fight with the king. He found out about all the horrible things the king was doing, and he fought him to correct the mistakes the king was making. But he was beaten... so with the last of his power, he summoned the Heroes of Space-Time to help... however, it kinda backfired on him. Instead of coming immediately, they were reborn one by one all around the world... and now we have to find them."

"That's not all of it," Sheena continues. "One of the king's mages dispersed the heroes' powers so that they wouldn't be strong enough to do anything... we think that their powers are where the summon spirits are. Klarth, another one of the heroes, has already made a pact with Sylph."

"And Maxwell, from the looks of it," Lloyd says.

"So that was Klarth summoning Maxwell?"

"Yep. He didn't stay for long, though."

"Typical. Well, we better get some sleep. They're meeting us at Lone Valley, right?"

"Yeah, we'll meet them there tomorrow. Good night, Colette, Sheena."

"Good night!" the girls say as we retreat from their room.

"I still don't quite understand what's going on..." I tell the other two as we enter our room.

"Oh, yeah, I guess this is kinda confusing, especially since you lost your memory..."

"Basically you're the reincarnation of a hero that's supposed to put a stop to the king's evil rule," Genis explains. "But we need to get your power first... and your comrades."

"What about all of you?" I ask. "You all seem pretty powerful."

"That's why we're doing all we can in this battle. Let's go to bed," Lloyd says as he lays down on one of the beds.

**Chester gained the title of Archer of ****Space-Time****. It is a title ****reserved for**** the ****Hero of Space-Time**** skilled with the bow.**


	4. Stubborn

**EDIT: At the end of the chapter, Chester learns Eagle Shot (not Gale Shot, as it previously said...). And I messed up on the eye color of "the blonde knight." I know it's not that big of a deal, but... it was bothering me. So that's fixed.**

**Also, I just realized I haven't been putting in the disclaimer... As I said in chapter 1, I do not own Tales of Phantasia or Tales of Symphonia, or anything related to them. They're owned by Namco. This is true for all chapters, even if not stated at the beginning of each one. **

**--Stubborn****--**

I slept pretty well... I even overslept a little. We're arriving at Lone Valley later than we wanted to, but the others don't mind. At least we know our friends are safe, right?

Lone Valley has one house in it right next to the entrance, which we walked straight past. There are many cliffs, but the path leads to the highest point, a point that overlooks the ocean and the continent where Alvanista lies. There's a large cave in the valley as well, and it has many entrances. We rested next to the first cave entrance, where Colette pulls a picnic out of the plastic bag she had brought. We each put together a sandwich depending on what we wanted; there's a surprising amount of food. I guess they bought it while I was still asleep...

"When do you think the others will get here?" Sheena asks.

"No clue, but knowing them, not too long," answers the swordsman.

"Arche-chan, please wait—" a voice calls from where we came in. Sheena quickly grabs our setup and we hurry over to the southeastern corner of the area, where the cliffs can easily hide us. We watch in silence as two teenage girls enter the area we previously sat in.

"Wait?!" the girl in the lead demands. "And just what are we supposed to do now?! Everything's proven useless... in the end, we couldn't do anything." This girl has pink hair up in a ponytail on the left side of her hair. She's wearing a red and yellow school uniform and a bracelet on each arm. Her shoes are also red. She has one earring on her left ear; it's a large pink ball. "And now you're leaving us, too!"

"I'm sorry... I would stay if I could..." the second girl says as she stares at the ground. She has long, blonde hair. Her dress is pure white with intricate embroidery and sparkles all of it. Her white gloves and shoes seem quite plain considering her dress. On her head, she wears a silver crown.

"That's the princess," Colette whispers to me.

"I'm tired of this!" the girl with pink hair yells. "Why won't any of you tell me what's going on?!"

"We told you all we know..."

"I don't believe that. It doesn't seem right at all."

"Of course it isn't right... none of it is... We're all suffering, too, Arche-chan..."

"Not those knights," Arche argues. "I can't believe that Brian guy used to be in our class. He's so... cold now! He didn't even flinch when he saw his girlfriend dead! Most of the knights acted that way!"

"They probably have a lot to deal with," the princess points out. "I'm sure they all cared, they just... didn't know what to say, or maybe they didn't want to show their feelings... Besides, you can't say that all of them were uncaring."

Two knights enter the area next. Like the ones from the other day, these two were covered in armor. The only difference is that they did not have their helmets on now.

The one in the lead has a tough, angular face. His green eyes glare at the people around him, and his rough brown hair doesn't help him to look any kinder. The knight following him, though, completely contrasts his looks. The second knight has wild blonde hair and a red headband. His sad purple eyes seem to stare at the princess' feet, not meeting anyone in the eyes.

"Princess," the first says as they both bow, "we need to head out soon. It's dangerous here."

"I will have time with my friend," the princess says defiantly. "Please leave us be. I will return when I'm ready."

"But Princess—"

"I said leave."

After a pause, the burnet knight says, "Yes, your highness." He then retreats, the silent knight following after him. The princess grabs the wrist of the second knight, making him stop and turn back in surprise.

"You can stay here," the princess offers. "You're our friend, too."

The knight nods and walks closer to Arche to join the group.

"And you!" Arche suddenly yells at the knight. "Why won't you talk?! I haven't heard a word from you since you left to become a knight!"

The knight opens his mouth to speak, but after a small consideration, he closes it again.

"Arche-chan, please..." the princess pleads.

"He's acting like a mute," the stubborn girl argues.

"He's lost his best friend..."

The knight only stands there, not saying anything.

"Well, at least you're not cold like the other knights. What happened to them, anyway? They all used to be so kind..." Both girls stare at the mute knight, expecting an answer. He gives none. Arche sighs and says, "This is hopeless."

"Arche-chan, you should return to the college soon."

"Why bother? No one's there anymore..."

"You still have your studies to attend to."

Arche shrugs. "I don't care."

"Lester-sensei wouldn't be happy to hear that..."

"I don't want him to put me in another group. We're getting new classmates, you know. They won't be the same as all of you were..."

"What do you mean?"

"You wouldn't understand, Mint. You're not a half elf."

"Maybe I'm not half elf, but my first and best friend is," the princess, Mint, replies. In the corner of my eye, I notice Lloyd giving Genis a pat on the back and a thumbs up. I wonder if he's a half elf...

Princess Mint hugs her friend. "Come on, let's go see Lester-sensei. He helped us before, remember?"

"All right... you're coming too, right?" Arche asks the knight, who nods. "Hey, Mint, can we leave the other knights behind?"

"Sure... why?"

"I don't want to talk to them. The three of us should sneak off alone!"

Mint smiles. "All right. Why don't you go get ready?"

"Okay, I'll be back!" Arche runs off towards the house in the valley, leaving the princess and the knight alone.

The princess turns to the knight. "Are you all right?"

The boy seems to finally say something, but he talks too softly for me to hear. After he stops talking, Princess Mint smiles and says, "There's still hope. There's still a chance."

The knight nods as Arche returns to the group, this time carrying a broom. "Mint! The guards are blocking our only exit... they're waiting for you."

"Oh... I'm sorry, it seems like we'll have to travel with them. They're not that bad—please put up with them, Arche..."

"I don't want to put up with them. I'll go on my own and meet you there." With that, she sits on her broom and—wait, is she floating? She really is... she's flying through the air on a broom...

"Look, it's Morrison!" Sheena hisses. I snap my attention back to the valley to see Morrison and the rest of our group walking out of the cave entrance. The knight is now standing between our friends and the princess.

"Whoa. Now who is _this_ beauty?" Zelos asks as he attempts to walk towards her. The knight holds his sword at Zelos threateningly. "Hey, if you don't mind, I'd like to talk to my hunny."

"Zelos, stop being a perv," Sheena says as she walks out of our hiding spot. After exchanging relieved glances, the rest of us step out as well. Surrounded on two sides, the knight attempts to push the princess back towards the entrance of Lone Valley.

"Rebels...!" Princess Mint exclaims.

"This isn't good. Now they know we're here," Raine says. "That could endanger our plans... unless we hurry."

"It troubles me that the princess is even here..." Kratos considers the situation. "Well, I think we have you outnumbered, why don't you explain to us why you're here?"

"Kratos-san, it's okay," Colette speaks up. "She came to visit a friend of hers, nothing more."

"We could always use this to our advantage," suggests Morrison.

The knight backs the princess up a little more as he stares at each of us one by one, trying to judge our skill. His eyes meet mine and he stops, surprise on his face. He drops his sword. "Ch-Chester!"

Princess Mint gasps. "Chester-san!"

"Friends of yours?" Lloyd asks me.

"Unlikely," says Morrison. "The last knights we found were trying to kill him."

Morrison's right. I pull out my bow and an arrow and aim it at the knight. "I refuse to be tricked!"

The knight pauses. "What are you talking about? You know me, Chester... and this is Mint. Ah, that's right, you didn't know she was the princess! Right...?"

"I don't recognize you at all. And besides, why would I be friends with a knight?"

"Chester..."

"But Chester-san! This is—"

"Princess!" four knights charge in from behind the princess. The place themselves in front of the blonde haired knight. "Princess, it's dangerous here! Let's move out!"

"But—"

"Get the princess out of here!" the lead knight orders. Two knights grab her and lead her away, while the others use their bodies to keep us from following. We, however, just watch. The rest of the knights start to leave, but the blonde haired one attempts to get past them. They drag him away as well until we are the only people left in the valley.

After a moment of silence, Raine sighs. "Let's be quick about this; those knights are notorious for sending backups."

"I think we found where the source of power is hidden. Come this way," Lloyd's father beckons. We follow him into the caves. Inside the dark caves, we follow the path forwards until we reach a much larger tunnel. Straight ahead of us is a hole, so we continue by following the path to the right. There are paths to the right and left, but we keep walking straight.

A blue beam passes right in front of me, hitting Presea. The young girl turns to stone and we all turn to find a large, lizard-like creature with one eye coming towards us.

"A basilisk. Don't let it use its beam!" orders Raine. She then begins concentrating for a spell. Regal and Lloyd charge at the creature while I pull an arrow out of my quiver. The basilisk opens its mouth to reveal long, sharp teeth. Regal kicks it in the mouth, shattering its teeth. Lloyd swipes at it, knocking some scales off. My arrow hits it in the side, making the creature yelp.

"Refresh!" Raine yells, and I notice Presea returning to normal in the corner of my eyes.

Zelos charges in, stabbing the creature with his sword and stealing the kill. Happily he boasts, "No one can stand against the great Zelos!"

"You mean no one can stand you," quips Lloyd.

"Lloyd, that was seriously harsh," says Zelos. Lloyd grins.

We return to our trek through the cave, continuing straight past another hole. The next area has yet another hole, and this time we walk over to it. There's a rock right next to the hole, so Morrison pulls a rope out of his robes and ties it around the rock. He throws the rest of the rope down.

"Chester, Regal, and I will go down. The rest of you should stay up here," Kratos says.

"Aww, why can't we come?"

"It's not that far, and this rope is our only exit. If it gets destroyed..."

"All right, all right... Just hurry back, okay?"

Regal climbs down first, followed by me. At the bottom, we wait for Kratos before continuing. The rocks down here look redder than above, and there are many stalagmites around. We walk towards the opposite corner of the small cavern and down a set of stairs. After the stairs, the cave veers off to the left, but we take the path straight ahead. The rocky path goes straight before it comes to a halt in front of us; now we can either go left or right. Kratos turns to the right to find a set of savage giants, their large clubs over their shoulders. The swordsman takes the giant on the right while Regal jumps and kicks the one on the left. I notch my bow and take aim... It's no use! They're moving around too much... I might hit Kratos or Regal if I shoot now. The giants both fall within a second of each other. Regal closes his eyes. "Do not think ill of us," he mutters. "We had no choice." He then walks past them, down the path to the right. Kratos and I follow.

The path turns even more to the right, and soon we hit a dead-end. "Is it here?" I ask as I put my hands on the wall. Kratos, however, is not looking at the wall. I soon realize that he's staring at a large rock instead. "Regal, can you move this?"

"All right." Regal walks over to the rock and pushes it. The rock budges, but only slightly. The rock looks to be on something, but there's no possible way of telling what until Regal moves it further. The stubborn rock will not move so easily, though. I glance around, looking to see if there was anything else in the cave. Above, I notice some clouds... Clouds? What are clouds doing in a cave? I shoot an arrow at the clouds and they disperse a tiny bit before coming together again.

"What did you find?"

"I don't know... but it seems a little odd..." A part of the cloud floats down towards me, and I reach out to grab it.

I hear something in my head... A new technique with my bow? And... are these... memories? I can hear some voices... and I can almost see some faces... but I can't quite make them out... What are they saying?

"Did you just say something... weird?"

"Hm? Don't worry about it! The whole limestone thing reminded me how hungry I am..."

Who are these people? They're not Kratos and Regal... and where are we? I hear an ocean... I can't tell what they're saying at all now... What the?! Agh... What is this disgusting taste? Melons? Bread? Uck! It makes me want to gag...! What on Aselia is this?!

The voices continue...

"Hmph! I'm gonna restore my disgraceful title!"

"You can't restore a disgraceful title. A disgraceful title is something you clear, not restore..."

"Oh, yeah... that's what I meant."

The voices die out, but they soon return.

"Uh-oh..." I hear myself say, but I don't feel my mouth moving at all. This _has_ to be a memory...

"Better brace yourselves..." another male voice says.

"That's not very nice."

"Here you go!" rings a happy female voice.

After a pause, another girl says, "Something the matter?"

"Huh? Uh, no. I was just about to take a bite."

I can't tell what the girl's saying now... my memory's too foggy...

"Oh, really?" the boy asks nervously.

"Choke it down!" I hear someone next to me whisper.

"Hang in there, buddy!" I, too, whisper in the memory.

"Chester!" Wait, I recognize that voice... Lloyd? "Chester, wake up!"

I slowly open my eyes to find myself back in the cave.

"A-are you all right? You're not hurt, are you?" a worried Colette asks. All of my comrades are huddled around, staring at me.

"I-I'm fine. I must've been dreaming..."

"About what?"

"I couldn't really tell what was going on, but... I think it might have been a memory," I answer.

"That's great!" exclaims Genis.

"Hm, so as we gather your power, we might also gather your memories..." mutters Raine. "Fascinating! We must go to the next place immediately!"

"Uh, Professor... Chester's not an experiment..."

"As a researcher, I must study the Heroes of Space-Time and the effects upon them as they regain their power," argues the woman.

"Uh... right... good luck, Chester."

"What do you mean...?" I ask, confused.

"We must do tests at once!" Raine concludes. "Tell me everything you saw! Then we have to take your temperature and test your blood..."

"Run, Chester, run!" Lloyd yells.

"Hurry, before you become a test subject!" Genis agrees.

The wild look in Raine's eyes is quite creepy... I take their advice and bolt away, only to find Raine chasing me. "Get back here!" she yells, and I can hear the laughter of the others echoing throughout the cave. I spin left around the last corner and dash out the cave, into the bright light. I put a hand over my eyes to keep the sun off of them and notice a bunch of people standing in front of me... people in armor... Ah great. Knights. They just don't give up, do they? There are a lot of them this time... This isn't good...

I turn and start running back into the cave. Ow, my head—!

**Chester gained the title of Stubborn. It is a title given to someone who refuses to believe others, whether truth or lie.**

**The blonde knight gained the title of Mute Knight. ****It takes a miracle for him to talk...**

**Raine gained the title of Researcher. ****Some observat****ions here, some tests there... S****he researches abnormal events with a ferocious vigor.**

**Chester learned ****Eagle Shot.**


	5. Lost Soul

**Edit: I'm good at messing up, aren't I? Anyway, I was playing ****ToP****, and I noticed that the Isolated Island and the Limestone Cave are two separate places... Isolated Island is where ****Demitel**** was... whoops. So I went back and changed it... This is the first chapter in which the change takes place.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Tales of Phantasia or Tales of Symphonia. Now if only I'd stop messing up on facts in them...**

**--Lost Soul****--**

Ugh, where am I...? It's so dark in here... and damp... Bars... A jail? What am I doing—oh yeah. I got caught... I don't have my bow and arrows anymore...

"You're awake. Good, I'm having a hard time with these criminals," Raine's voice rings. Now I see what she means: we're not the only ones in this jail cell. The other six people are definitely criminals; they're all large and dirty with hard, cold faces. All of them are males staring at Raine with gluttonous eyes. The woman is standing above me, her hands up in a defensive position as the men advance on her. One of them suddenly lunges at her; Raine swiftly ducks to the side and hits him in the eye, sending him stumbling backwards. Wow, she has a lot of power! I thought she was a healer...

"Why you...! You're too feisty, lady!" one of the criminals says. "Let's go, guys!"

They all charge forwards and Raine dodges again. I grab the foot of one of them and pull it forwards, tripping him into another one. I jump to my feet and punch one in the stomach. Another man falls on top of him from Raine's forceful punch. Yet another comes at me with a wooden stick. I back up, dodging his horribly sloppy swings with easy. I drop to my hands and knees and quickly swing one leg around, kicking his feet out from under him. I glance around to find Raine having troubles fighting the largest of them. "Raine, over here!" I call. She immediately runs over, leaping over the man I knocked down. I grabbed the wooden board and hid it using the man on the floor, waiting for the last one to walk over. As soon as he's close enough, I pull the board up and slam it on top of his head.

Wood pieces are flying... the board... broke... And the man's still standing...

"Photon!" A sphere of light flashes around the man, engulfing him. He yells as it rips at him. As the light disperses, he falls on his knees and then lands on his face. I turn to Raine, who breathes easily. "We've no time for silly games. Let's figure out how—"

Someone's clapping. There he is... A knight is standing outside of the jail cell, clapping.

"Pretty good. No wonder you rebels are so hard to capture..." He studies me. "So you're Chester Barklight... Hm, looks like he failed to kill you. And you've joined the rebels... very well, I think I know what to do with this situation... You'll both be punished."

"Who? Who tried to kill me?!"

"What, don't you remember?" the knight teases.

"No, now tell me!"

"Maybe this name will ring a bell: Cless Alvein."

Cless?! Didn't Mr. Alvein say that he's my best friend?! So then why... "What do you mean...?"

"You know that name, Chester?" Raine asks, but I can't answer. Just who is this Cless? Is he really my best friend? I don't understand...

"You're best friend, Cless Alvein, tried to kill you. It's that simple. He stabbed you in the stomach and left you on the beach in a pile of bodies. Don't you remember?" the knight answers coldly. "Now if you'll excuse me, I must arrange your punishment." He turns and walks out of the room.

...I don't know what to think... just who is this Cless...? What should I do...?

"Chester? Are you all right? You look pale..."

I do? "I-I'm fine."

"Do you know that name?"

"Yeah... we met his father in Miguel... and my sister."

"Yes, Kratos mentioned something about you being from Miguel." We pause, neither saying anything. "As I was saying before... we need to find a way out of here."

I walk over to the bars at the front of the cell. "This whole place is pretty solid..."

"The security system is top-notch. There are cameras all around, so they'll know as soon as we try anything."

"Can you destroy the cameras with that skill from earlier?"

"Yes, but we'll have to have an escape plan when I start. Destroying one will immediately alert them, and neither of us have weapons."

"Hm..." What can we do? Surely there's some way out of here... Hey, what's that? "There's something floating this way..."

"Those are... keys?!" Raine exclaims as the item gets closer. I reach out between the bars and take the ring of keys as soon as I can reach them. I turn to my friend. "I guess this is our invitation."

"This could be a trap," she points out.

"They already have us captured anyway."

"...All right, if you're sure about this, I'll use Photon."

"I'm sure." I walk over to the door while Raine begins concentrating on her spell.

"Photon!" The camera watching the jail cell blows up and I stuff one of the keys in the lock on the door. I hope this is the right one... No. I try another key. This time the lock clicks and the door opens. "Let's go!" We hurry out the door and to the right. Raine takes out a few more cameras as we follow the path past other jail cells with people calling out to us, making our progress slow. Nonetheless, we safely reach the door leading out, a set of bars behind our jail cell. I use a key on this final door, opening it. Raine suddenly grabs my shoulder and pulls me to the side, next to the wall. It's a good thing she did—two guards walk towards the door I just opened, looking around. They both walk through the door. Raine and I leap at them, each taking a guard down. We quickly knock them out before they can say anything.

"Let's pull them back to our cell and put their uniforms on," the professor suggests. I nod and we each drag one of them back. In the jail cell, we put their armor on over our regular clothes and grab their spears. "Hm... I can use this like a rod..."

"It'd be best if we find my bow soon... Hey, these don't have helmets that cover their faces..."

"We'll have to be good actors, then. As for your bow, we're too short on time. We'll have to buy another one. Come on."

With our disguise, we walk out of the dungeon at a normal speed. Outside, we find a set of stairs. We start to ascend them, but a voice calls out to us: "Raine, is that you?"

Hiding behind the stairs is a woman who looks to be in her late twenties. She has long, blue hair in a braid and kind blue eyes. She's wearing a modest, plain brown dress with a green shawl.

"Milard!" Raine exclaims as she walks over to the woman. "Was that you who helped us?"

Milard nods. "I picked up a few minor spells from helping Klarth with his studies, so I couldn't help much..."

"It was enough. Thank you, Milard."

The new woman turns and smiles at me. "Who's this?"

"Chester Barklight," I tell her, holding out my hand. She shakes it, saying, "My name is Milard Rune. It's nice to meet you, Chester."

"If we get caught here, it'll be trouble for all of us," Raine points out.

"Understood. You should visit Klarth—he'll help you catch up with Morrison."

"Where is he?"

"You can find him in his office at the Alvanista City College."

"Thank you. Chester, let's go."

I nod and we head up the stairs. At the top, we follow the path left past a maid looking out the window and down a narrow hall. As we emerge into a much larger room, we find some knights and guards dotted around the room, either hanging out or guarding the stairs that led upstairs. We walk towards the path leading upstairs, but instead we take it the opposite way, which leads outside. As the light from the sun falls on us, one of the two guards outside stops us.

"Where are you two going?" the guard asks.

"Our shift is over," says Raine. "We're headed home."

"This is an odd time for a switch in shift..."

"We have to come back later for some special training. We're new, so..." I attempt to persuade them.

"Ah, right. That would call for an odd shift... All right, don't forget to study."

"Don't worry, we'll do our best," Raine finishes the conversation and we continue towards the city. Once we were safe from the guards, Raine whispers to me, "I'm glad we managed to get through before they came to check on the cameras..."

"Something tells me that their security system's a little slow," I agree.

Raine notices an alley behind the inn, which we go down. There we deposit the armor before exiting out the other end of the alleyway. Afterwards we head to the weapons shop, where Raine buys a better rod than before. I look through the bows until I find a nice, strong one. After testing out its durability and handling, I realize that this one's better than my old bow. Raine kindly buys it for me, saying its money we all got from killing monsters anyway. With our new weapons, we leave the shop. "So where's this college?" I ask.

"It's just outside of the city, on the southern part of the island."

We walk out of the city walls and walk south for a little bit before we reach the campus. It's surrounded by walls, much like the city, but the inside of the campus looks completely different. The dorms, which are near the entrance, are all made of old bricks and the doors are styled like door were a thousand years ago; the look gives it a nice antique feel. The whole area is made of grass and sidewalk, and the walkway leads towards a bunch of newer-looking buildings; those buildings are probably the classrooms. Trees line the main walkway, branches hanging over it. Trees and bushes dot the grass, and students lounge all around. "So this is where I went to school..." I mutter.

"I don't suppose you remember where we can find Klarth, do you?"

I shake my head.

"Then we'll just have to ask around." With that verdict, Raine walks towards a group of students. While she talks to them, I continue staring at the campus, trying to remember it. No matter how I look at it, I can't quite grasp it in my memory... I guess it does look familiar, but... I don't remember anything that's happened here...

Raine returns with a girl of about ten or eleven. She has her light brown hair in a high ponytail with a pink ribbon holding it in place. Some of her thick hair falls over her left eye, but she doesn't seem to mind. In fact, her blue eyes seem very emotion-less. Her crimson shirt has long sleeves and folds in the center, left part over the right. She has a small, dark brown cloth for a belt around her stomach, and a smaller red string ties over that. She has a yellow scarf, but it looks like it might connect to another shirt under her crimson shirt. Her sleeves end before reaching her wrists, but a black sleeve continues past that and under her red, fingerless gloves. Hanging over her right shoulder and wrapping diagonally around her body is a hilt for a dagger, with the dagger snug on her back. Her red pants look a little baggy on her; the pants turn into a solid yellow band just above her ankles, where they stop. Her shoes are brown and look to be very flexible.

"Chester, this is Sheena's sister, Suzu. Suzu-chan, this is—"

"We've met," the girl says, completely serious.

"I wish I could say the same, but I've lost my memory," I explain. "I've met your sister recently, though." Suzu pauses, considering this information.

"Suzu-chan's going to take us to see Klarth."

The young ninja nods and walks towards the main path. We pass a few buildings, and she finally leads us into the sixth building on the right.

The inside of the building has a hard rock floor and walls made of white bricks. There are doors and halls all around that probably lead to classrooms. There are silver elevator doors almost directly on the left, where Suzu presses the up button. The elevator promptly opens and we enter. The young girl hits the number three on the level buttons. The doors close and for a second I feel heavy as the elevator rises. At the third floor, the doors open again and we exit. We walk down the path on our left to the third door, which Suzu opens.

There is a small hallway right past the door before opening into the rest of the room. The walls and floor here are made out of wood. Straight ahead is a library covered with books. More books and papers litter the floor, and the trashcan is overflowing. Inside I hear voices...

"I have good news and bad news," a kind male voice says.

"Tell us the bad first, then!" rings a female voice.

"Ah, uh... Sorry, but... the good news has to come first. B-but don't worry! The good news far outweighs the bad news!"

Suzu close the door and the three of us walk forwards, curious. The rest of the room is also covered in books and papers. There's a wooden desk, which a man leans on. Behind it is an unoccupied gray spinning chair. There are two more chairs in front of the desk, both large and green. Wait, what are _they_ doing here?! Arche sits in the chair on the right and Princess Mint sits in the one on the left. The blonde haired knight stands next to the princess. All three and the man leaning against the desk turn to stare at us, and we stare back in surprise.

"I-it's you!" Raine exclaims, shocked. The two girls jump to their feet.

"C-Chester!" Arche yells in astonishment.

"Chester! There you are!"

"Chester's alive..." the man leaning on the desk seems flabbergasted and stunned from his facial expression. This man has light blue hair in a low ponytail and narrow blue eyes, under which he has dark blue markings. He has a large hat on, with a tall point and wide brim. Coming out from under the hat is a white cloth that floats all the way around his head. He's wearing an orange shirt that folds sort of like my over shirt... the left side of it folds over the right side. His belt is blue, but the bottom of it has a bunch of white dashes coming out of the edge. His baggy pants are red, but the bottom of them, which clamp around his leg, are white. A little bit of his legs are bare, where I see more strange and intricate markings in the same dark blue color. His boots are brown with a white cuff, and wrapped once around the white cuff of each is a string patterned with beads and long, straight wood. He has a cloth hanging over his shoulders that comes down to about his ankles... there are two parts of it in back and two parts in front. In the front, it's held together by a string with a block of wood in the center to tie it down. His clothes stop at his shoulders, so I can see the markings continue onto his arms. He wears black gloves with his fingers bare, but on his right middle finger he wears a red ring. He has a set of bracelets that look just like the decorations on his boots, and even more wood on strings around his belt, neck, and even a little hanging from his hat.

I think he wins the hardest description award... Geez, these people just get even weirder and weirder...

The blonde knight smiles. "That's the good news. Good timing, Chester."

"Klarth!" Raine yells. "Wh-what's going on here?!"

"Calm down, I'm talking to my students. I think the bigger questions are what are you doing here and since when did you know Chester?"

"You two again..." I mutter as I reach for my bow and an arrow. I notch the arrow and pull back, aiming at the knight, with ease.

"Chester! What are you doing?!" Arche demands.

"...And that's the bad news," the knight explains. "Chester, why are you intent on attacking us?! We're your friends!"

"Please, lower your weapon..." pleads the princess.

"If we're friends, then how come your allies are after me?!"

"They're after you? What do you mean?" asks Princess Mint. "Please talk to us, Chester..."

The man leaning on the desk puts his hand on his chin, considering the situation.

"Klarth, you said they're your students?" Raine addresses the man. "Do they know Chester?"

"Yeah. They're all good friends... they're in the same group in my class."

"I see. Thank you," she says as she turns to me. She places her hand on my bow and pushes down. "Did you hear that? I don't know about these three, but Klarth is trustable, and he's helped us out many times. As much as I don't like the idea of talking to a knight... they might be able to help you regain your memory."

"Ehhh?!"

"You lost your memory?!"

"No wonder..."

She's right... I relax my grip and start to return the arrow to my quiver. Wait... what if this knight is... I turn to the knight. "What's your name?"

"I'm Cless Alvein, your best friend."

"This is... Cless?!" Raine removes her hand from my bow in her surprise. Angry, I immediately pull it back up and pull the string back. I release the arrow and it flies straight towards him. The arrow goes past his left ear and slams into the wall behind him, taking some of his blonde hair with it.

"Chester?!"

I pull another arrow out and prepare it in my bow, glaring at the surprised boy. "That was a warning," I say. "Next time I won't miss."

"Wait, why are you attacking Cless?!" Arche demands.

This is him... This is the person that was my best friend... This is the person that tried to kill me... It's his fault that I'm here, without a memory!

I release another arrow, but my hand shakes at the last second. The arrow hits him in the side, going into him. He stumbles and grabs at his wound.

"Cless-san!" Princess Mint runs up to him and holds on to his shoulder, trying to help him.

"I-it's okay... I'm fine..."

I pull another arrow out prepare my bow. "Well?!" I demand. "Aren't you going to fight me?!"

"...No."

I can barely hear Raine, but I think she's yelling for me to calm down. I can't calm down... I won't calm down! Not when this man—Cless Alvein—is standing right in front of me!

"Why not?! You tried to kill me before!"

No one says a word. They stare back and forth between the two of us, taken aback.

"T-that can't be true!" argues the princess. "Cless-san cares about you... he's been devastated about your death!"

"'Devastated'?! More like a guilty conscious!" I pull the arrow further back. "Move away from him, Princess!"

"You're wrong! Cless-san..."

"One of your fellow knights told me everything... You're the one who stabbed me and left me on the beach to rot!"

"Wait, Chester, I—It's... That's not what happened!" Cless declares, trying to push past Princess Mint. She pulls him back, refusing to let him come any closer to me.

"This is getting out of control," Klarth mutters. Turning to the young girl behind me, he says, "Suzu-chan, please take him to your sister. I'll find out the truth and meet up with them later."

"Understood. Shadow Storm!" Wind and leaves start swirling around me, Suzu, and Raine.

"No!" I yell as I release one last arrow. Immediately after I release, the area around us disappears in the whirlwind.

When the wind disappears, we're in a new room. This room has two beds, one up high and one down low. Under the high bed is a desk, and an identical desk rests at the end of the low bed. There's a dresser on either side of the door. The side with the low bed is completely clean, as if no one lives there. The other side is cluttered with stuff; books, posters, a laptop, clothes, games, DVDs... There's a small television on top of the dresser, facing towards the bed. It has both a game system and a DVD player. "Where are we?" I ask.

"Your dorm," answers the ninja. "Yours and Cless' before he was recruited as a knight. I'll take you to Sheena after I find out where she is. Pack what you want." Suzu pulls out a small black cell phone and starts dialing a number.

I open the dresser and search inside for anything I might need. I find a black backpack and some drawers containing clothes. I pack some extra clothes into the backpack, grabbing what I think won't restrict my movement. Afterwards I move on to see what else I have.

I find a stash of money in one of the desk drawers. 5000 gald, nice! That might come in handy... This must've been my cell phone... I pocket that.

On the desk I notice a few pictures in frames. The first has me and Cless looking victorious. The second has Cless, Princess Mint, Arche, Suzu, and me smiling and goofing off. A third adds Klarth into the picture, holding a book and shaking his head. The fourth picture has Cless, Ami, and me as kids. Heh, Ami looks to be yelling at me... I must've teased her about something because I look smug in the picture. The final picture, hidden behind the others, is a picture of Arche alone, sitting on the grass.

I take the pictures out of their frames and put them in the backpack. Maybe they'll help me get my memory back... I also put my laptop in the backpack, complete with its charger. Oh, maybe I should find the phone charger... That task is easier said than done in this messy room. I check all the plugs I can find, but none of the chargers in those fit the phone.

"Looking for this?" Suzu asks as she holds up another charger. I try fitting it and the phone together. ...It works.

"Thanks." I put the charger in my backpack as well.

"I found some gels in the other dresser. Mind if we take them?" Raine asks.

"Not at all. They might come in handy." With that, we pack the gels. We have a wide variety it seems... mainly apple gels, but also lemon gels, orange gels, and mélange gels. There's even one pineapple gel. With my bag fully packed, I try to figure out how to situate it with my bow and quiver. Raine offers to take the bag since she has nothing else besides her rod.

"Ready?" Suzu asks.

"Ready."

"Shadow Storm!" The leaves and wind whirl around us again, engulfing the surrounding scene.

When the wind and leaves clear, I find that we're standing next to the rail near the back of a ship, staring straight out into the ocean.

"T-the ocean?" Raine takes a step back. "S-Suzu-chan, why did you bring us here?"

"Are the others on this ship?" I question.

"No," replies the young girl. "According to shipment times, this ship should be sailing to Venezia, where they're waiting. Looks like we barely caught the ship."

"Barely?! Y-you mean you guessed?!" Raine demands, sounding somewhat frightened.

"We managed to get on the ship."

"And what would you have done if we missed?!"

I stare at the usually calm woman. Is she... scared? "Raine, you're not scared of water, are you...?"

"N-no! Of course not!" she says, but it sounds almost like a lie. "It's just... if we had landed in the ocean, we'd have troubles swimming to the ship." Her eyes catch the ocean again. "I-I'm going to go talk to the captain! We should let him know we're here!" With that, she runs towards the front of the ship. I look down at Suzu, who sits down and makes herself comfortable. I follow her example, letting the cool wind flow through my hair and clothes. I close my eyes... it feels so nice. And the sound of the ocean has a nice ring to it... it feels so serene...

"Chester, wake up. We're here."

I open my eyes to find Raine and Suzu staring down at me. When did I fall asleep? My body feels kinda stiff...

I pull myself up until I, too, am standing; without another word, the two girls turn and start walking off the ship. After a small yawn, I follow.

We come out on the harbor of a quaint and quiet city. The large port is filled with ships anywhere from large cargo ships to tiny fishing boats and sailors hustling around to load or unload their ships. As we get closer to the buildings, there are more and more sealed crates and open boxes stuffed with fish. They're stacked between the port and the first of the buildings, leaving enough room for people to walk between them. The titled ground for the port is a deep rusty gray, but as soon as we hit the city it turns into burgundy bricks. We walk past two tall but narrow white buildings and cross a bridge over the clean water. To our left is an enormous terra cotta building with ancient-looking windows. Straight ahead is a small plaza with a flowing water fountain, four back-less wooden benches, and three pots of flowers. Past the plaza, more buildings stand tall. To our right is a gray wall with many columns in front of it. We pass straight through the plaza and towards the buildings on the other side of it. We pass by the first one—a house outlined in ashen brick—and enter the terra cotta building next to it.

Inside, the walls and carpet are a dark gray. The rug in the front is the same color with a green outline and red squares. There's a wooden desk in the center with a lady behind it, and on either side of the desk is a door with a small tree in each corner. The receptionist, a lovely young lady with brown hair and wearing a modest shawl, politely says, "Do you three have an appointment?"

Huh? Where are we exactly...?

"Yes." Raine walks up to the counter. "We're friends of Regal Bryant—surely he said we'd be coming."

The receptionist pulls out a sheet of paper and starts scanning it. "What are your names?"

"Raine Sage, Chester Barklight, and Suzu Fujibayashi."

"I have you." She puts the paper down and points to the door on the left. "Go through there and up the stairs. Once at the top, make a U-turn and you'll find him in the far room."

"Thank you," Raine says politely as she leads the way to the door. The hallway we enter looks very much like the front lobby, only with a tile floor instead of a carpeted one. The stairs she mentioned are just past the hallway. Further on is a large room with many books, desks, and workers bunched in. The desks are in long rows, but they're so close together that it looks like a mess. To our left before turning onto the stairs is another hallway with a closed door at the end.

"Where are we?" I ask as we walk up the stairs.

"This is the Laiott Trading Company," explains the healer. "Regal's the president of it." Wow! He's the president of a big company?! That's amazing...

The second floor continues the same motif of grey carpet and green rugs. There's a door and a hallway at the top of the stairs right next to each other; we take the hallway. It opens up into a large room with two desks—one large one and one small one near the entrance—a large, comfortable-looking black chair, and three bookshelves spaced evenly around the desk. Regal is sitting in the chair, looking over papers with Morrison leaning over his shoulder. The rest of the group is standing in the large open space, talking. As we enter, everyone looks up.

"Chester! Professor!"

"Sis!"

"I'm glad to see you're okay, my super ultra gorgeous beauty," Zelos says to Raine, who completely ignores him except for the annoyed look on her face.

"There you three are. We were starting to get worried that you'd gotten lost," Kratos informs us.

"The ship was slow," Suzu says calmly.

"You came too, Suzu?" Sheena asks, surprised.

"...You asked me to bring them, didn't you?"

"I thought you were going to drop them off in the city and head back to Japoni," Sheena explains.

"Oh, Chester! There's one thing we forgot," Lloyd says as he suddenly remembers something. "We need you to hold the Tracking Stone for a minute... that way it'll cancel out your energy and we'll be able to search for the others."

"All right." Lloyd pulls out the white glowing stone and hands it to me. I hold it in my right hand, but it continues glowing steadily. "...Should the light die down?"

"I-I don't know... Morrison?"

"Yes, it should." Morrison walks over to observe the situation. "The light disappeared when Klarth held it..."

"Maybe there's another hero around," Regal suggests.

"Either that or Chester isn't one of the heroes," Kratos points out.

Morrison takes the stone out of my hands. "I'll see if I can figure out what this means..." He, Kratos, and Regal return to the desk with the stone where they start muttering among themselves.

"So..." Genis catches our attention. "What's in the bag, Sis?"

"Oh, this has Chester's supplies. We found his dorm room while in Alvanista."

"Really? What sort of things did you bring?" Lloyd asks curiously.

"I found some pictures, my cell phone, and my laptop. I haven't gotten to look on the last two yet... why don't we see what I have on there?"

"All right." Raine hands me the bag and I set it on the ground near the entrance to the room. I pull out my black laptop, put it on the small desk, and open it up. I press the power button and we wait patiently for it to turn on.

It asks for a password. Figures. "Uh..."

"Oh, great... I guess you don't remember what the password is, do you?"

"Maybe you can figure it out!" Colette encourages me. All except the three pondering over the stone gather around the laptop.

"Okay..." I try 'Cless' first. Nope. 'Arche'? Not that either... 'Ami'? No... Uh... what would I have made it...?

"K-I-N-G-Y dash C-H-A-N," Suzu suddenly says. I turn to her questioningly. "That's the password. Kingy-chan."

"What kind of password is that?"

"I don't know..." I mutter as I type it in. It works. "How'd you know that, Suzu?"

"I've watched you type it before."

"Y-you figured out my password... by watching?"

"Yes."

"Well, at least it proved to be useful, right?" Lloyd points out.

The computer loads my settings and brings up a background. It's a cute, sky blue background with an anime character in the lower right-hand corner. She has long, flowing purple hair and bright blue eyes. She's wearing a normal high school uniform with a short skirt.

"Wow! You've watched Gata no Sora?!" Zelos demands, excited. "Yep, that's definitely the main character of Gata no Sora!"

"What's that?" Lloyd asks curiously.

"It's this _amazing_ anime. You should watch it, Lloyd-kun!"

"And just what type of anime is it?" Sheena questions untrustingly.

"It's a hentai!" Zelos boasts.

The rest of us pause. I hold my head down, my face feeling very hot. I slowly close the laptop.

"You... you perverts!" Sheena yells.

"Chester, I thought you were above that..." agrees Raine.

"I can't believe you two..." Colette adds.

"How horrible..." Geez. Not even Presea's leaving this alone.

"Typical boys." And there goes Suzu. Great. Why did my wallpaper have to be that...? And why did Zelos have to say something...?

"Uh... oops," Zelos mutters.

"Hey, what's 'hentai'?" Genis asks.

"You don't want to know," Sheena assures the young boy.

"Let's... find a different subject..." I suggest, my face still feeling very hot.

"What else do you have in here?" Lloyd asks as he begins searching through my backpack. He finds the pictures and pulls them out. "What's this?"

"T-those are mine!" I attempt to grab the pictures, but Zelos gets them first.

"Whoa, she's really beautiful!" he says. "Who's the hunny? I don't believe I've met her before... Hey, Chester-kun! You'll help me meet her, won't you?"

"Idiot!" Sheena whacks Zelos over the head.

"Ow! What was that for?!"

"Have you ever thought that maybe that's Chester's girlfriend?" Sheena demands.

"He can share, right?"

"IDIOT!" Sheena hits him even harder this time.

"Is she your girlfriend?" Lloyd asks me.

"Who?"

"The girl with pink hair. She has a picture all to herself."

Arche. "I don't know. I don't remember anything."

"Okay, sheesh... No need to get defensive about it..."

"I'm not getting defensive!"

"Don't worry, Chester-san," says an encouraging Colette. "I'm sure you'll remember soon!"

"And Zelos, those are mine!" I snatch my pictures back and stuff them in my backpack.

"Aww, I just wanted to look at them..."

"Oh yeah. You said you went to your dorm," Genis starts. "Did you meet any of your friends?"

Yes... Cless... Princess Mint... her best friend Arche... How can I tell them what I learned about my "friends"? Besides, they're all with the king... that means they're our enemies, right?

"Chester?"

"Klarth will get back to us later on that," Raine says. I hadn't noticed that she, too, had gone to study the stone. Now all four of the adults are staring at us. "Anyway, we couldn't find anything about the stone... we'll just have to watch it as we travel."

"We should probably head to the next summon," suggests Kratos. "We can take a ship to the Limestone Cave. You got something from Lone Valley, so chances are you are one of the heroes."

"If we're going to the Limestone Cave, I'll stay here," Raine offers.

"Huh? What for, Professor?" Lloyd asks.

"I-I think it'd be better... I can try and find some more on the other heroes that way. Besides, you won't need me for such a short trip."

Yep, she's definitely scared... "It's fine," I say in her defense. "She's right, we don't need many people to just go grab my power."

"Maybe we should split up," agrees Morrison. "One group can search for more heroes and the other can go to the island."

"All right. How should we decide the groups?" Sheena asks.

"I'll go with the group that has the most hunnies!" Zelos offers.

"Chester should decide," says the quiet Presea.

What? Me? Oh, great, and they're all agreeing...

"I'm going to go home now," Suzu suddenly says. "Excuse me." With that, she disappears in the wind.

"So that leaves us with eleven. I guess I'll take six; we'll run into more danger."

"Wise idea."

Now then, who should I take...? Not Raine, she doesn't like water... Everyone else seems to want to go, though. Let's see... Morrison knows the most about the stone, so he should stay and examine it. Kratos and Regal are both pretty strong, so it'd probably be best if they were in opposite groups. Genis probably wants to go with his sister, but that leaves them with a deficit in strong fighters if something goes wrong... unless I add either Presea or Lloyd... Lloyd and Colette should stay together, though; they seem to work well together. So then... "I'll take Kratos, Lloyd, Colette, Sheena, and Zelos. The other group will be Raine, Morrison, Genis, Regal, and Presea."

"Wait, why am I staying?" Morrison asks.

"You can research the stone better than anyone else," I explain.

"An interesting split... and the parties are pretty well-rounded..." Kratos agrees. "All right, let's go."

I sling my bag over my right shoulder and our group heads out, leaving the other group in the room. When we get to the plaza with the fountain, we head to the wall in the north part of the city, the one with the columns in front of it. Kratos leads us past the columns and to a port area that's separate from the rest of the city. Next to the port, there's a ferryman that watches us hopefully; we walk straight past him. There's only one ship at this small port, and we board it. We find the captain and Kratos talks to him. When he finishes, he returns to us. "All right, the ship will set sail soon. Is everyone prepared?"

"Yeah, we've had plenty of time to prepare."

"Then make yourselves comfortable. We're allowed to use all of the facilities on this ship while we're traveling," Kratos explains. "It shouldn't take us too long to get there."

**Chester gained the title of Lost Soul. Betrayed by your best friend... is there anything left?**

**Raine gained the title of Fist Fighter. It is a title given to a healer who packs a pretty strong punch.**

**Regal gained the title of President. He's the president of the Laiott Trading Company, the largest company in Aselia...**

**Zelos has received the title of Womanizer. It is a title given to one who just can't stop hitting on women.**

**Chester has received the title of Pervert. We all knew you were hiding something...**


	6. Loner

**--****Loner****--**

"Hey Lloyd, can we explore the ship?" Colette asks. "I wonder if there are dolphins following us this time! I've never seen dolphins!"

"Yeah, of course! Why don't we go check for them?" As they head off towards the back of the boat, Zelos walks over to stop the boy.

"Now now, Lloyd-kun! You aren't planning on doing anything... _alone_ with my little angel, now are you?" the red haired man asks as Colette continues walking, oblivious.

"W-wha?!" Lloyd's face turns magenta. "O-of course not!"

"Come on!" Colette calls out to Lloyd. "I think I hear them!"

"I'll be with you in just a minute, my sweet little angel!" Zelos calls out.

"IDIOT!" Lloyd yells. "Leave Colette out of your games!"

"...I'm going below deck," Kratos excuses himself.

"Yeah, me too," Sheena agrees.

"I think I'll come as well." I follow behind the two, leaving Lloyd to deal with Zelos alone.

The area below is somewhat dark and damp; it's all shiny metal with narrow passages that roll back and forth with the waves of the ocean. There are many doors around, each leading to different rooms. I poke my head in the first open door to find the bar. ...Come to think of it, I _am_ rather hungry... I enter the room. It has four tables made of wood, each with four black felt chairs. There's one long bar with many seats that wraps around the corner of the room next to the entrance, and the bartender is taking orders behind it. There are four customers in the room now, three at a table and one making an order. The bartender goes into the back—there's a door I didn't see upon ending among all of his cabinets—and the man who ordered waits for his meal. I hop up in a bar stool myself and wait for the bartender to return.

The other man sitting at the bar notices me. "Hey, kid. I don't believe I've seen you before. What brings you here?"

"I'm going to Isolated Island."

"Really? Are you going to catch them, too?" the man asks.

"Huh? Catch who?"

"You mean you didn't hear? Most people here are bounty hunters. They say the rebels might be at Isolated Island, so we're going to try and catch them," the man explains. "They all have a really good bounty on their heads, especially a new one named Chester."

What?! There's a bounty... on me?! And these people are going the same way as us... This isn't good...

"So what are you going to the island for, then?"

"I..." Come on, think faster! "I want to explore it."

"Explore it? Are you crazy?" the man asks, surprised. "You do realize it's dangerous, right?"

"Yeah, but it'll help me train."

"Just be careful."

The waiter returns with the man's meal. He then asks me for my order. Oh yeah, I forgot to look at the menu... "Do you have curry?"—the waiter nods—"I'll take that and some water." He returns to the kitchen.

"Only water?" inquires the bounty hunter. "Come on, be a man! Have a beer or something!"

"It'd be dangerous to train if I'm drunk," I point out, which makes the man laugh.

"Well, I suppose that's true. I like you, kid! What's your name?"

Ah great. I need a name, and fast! I say the first name that comes to mind: "Cless." Of all names, why'd I think of _his_? Oh well, hopefully it'll save me...

"Name's Jerald," he says as he holds out his hand; I shake it. "How old are you?"

"I'm seventeen."

"You're pretty young to have a death wish!" Jerald says with a laugh.

"I'm not planning on dying any time soon!" I correct him, annoyed.

"Then you sure are brave. My guild could use more people like you!" He takes a large gulp of his beer before turning to me. "Wanna join?"

"No thanks. I'm fine on my own."

The waiter returns with the curry and water and set them and some silverware in front of me. I begin eating as the bounty hunter goes quiet. Wow, this is spicier than I expected! I gulp down some water, but it doesn't help much...

Someone takes a seat next to me. I look up at him to see that he's clad in full armor with a head of black hair. He glares down at me, observing me. "Hope you don't mind if I join the conversation. What'd you two say your names were?"

"I'm Jerald."

"Cless."

"Full names," the new man says curtly.

"Geez, you knights really _are_ as cold as they say," mumbles Jerald. "I was talking to the kid, if you don't mind."

A knight? Wait, that means he might know Cless... I'm in trouble. I should've stayed with Kratos and Sheena...

"This kid's an imposter. Cless Alvein is a new knight with short, blonde hair. There's no way this boy could be him," the knight explains.

The bounty hunter jumps to his feet. "What?!"

I glance around with my eyes, looking for an exit. There's one door, and the large knight is in between me and it. There's also the door to the kitchen, but there's no telling if there's an exit there... still, it might be my only shot...

"Try again," says the knight. "Now, what was your name?"

I throw my hands on the bar table and jump up with my legs. I push myself over the bar and drop down on the ground, barely dodging the knight's sword.

"Hey, the kid's mine!" yells Jerald. "My future rests on getting that fortune!"

I pull my bow and an arrow out, but the bartender's one step ahead of me—he has a knife. He tries to stab me, so I roll to the side to get out of the way. I jump to my feet and run towards the kitchen door.

"Oh no you don't!"

That knight's fast! I spin around, jumping into the air as I do so. What's this feeling? It's almost as if... I'm building up energy... "Eagle Shot!" I shoot one arrow, but it flies with blades of wind that look like eagles. The wind knocks my three pursuers down, giving me enough time to escape into the kitchen.

I run through the white kitchen, barely paying attention to the things around me. There are many cooks which I dodge past and stoves on either side I shouldn't touch... Ah, there's a door! Just past the dish pit! I hear the cooks yelling at me, the knight, and Jerald as we charge through their kitchen. The clanking of the armor gets closer than closer—he's _way_ too fast! I turn into where some workers are cleaning dishes and turn around to release another Eagle Shot. The knight stumbles and slips on the wet floor, but Jerald still chases after me. I run through the door.

I dash up the stairs to the surface of the ship and continue running towards the back of it. Where am I planning on going? I can't run very far... but maybe I'll have more room out here for a fight.

At the back of the ship, I spin around and notch an arrow in my bow. I hold it up, pointing at where I just ran from as I breathe heavily. As Jerald comes into sight, I aim the arrow at him.

Jerald holds his hands up. "Whoa now, easy there, kid. I don't have any weapons."

"Then it wasn't wise of you to chase me, now, was it?" I point out.

"Heh, you're pretty smart. Tell ya what, you tell me your real name, and I won't kill you."

"I told you before, I'm not planning on dying any time soon. Besides, I have the upper hand right now!"

"Oh really...?" Jerald smirks. He closes his eyes. "Lightning Cage!"

Lightning shoots up all around me, creating what looks to be an electrical cage. It's just big enough to old me as I stand; one wrong move and I might accidentally touch it.

"Now who has the upper hand?" Jerald asks. "So, are you Chester? If so, you're in luck—the king wants you alive. I'd rather not have to kill you if I can help it..."

This is bad. This is very bad... How could I let myself get caught again?! Am I really that weak?! I hate this... I hate always getting caught!

"Release the boy," I hear a familiar voice say. Just past Jerald, Kratos slowly walks up. The bounty hunter spins around in surprise.

"Y-you! You're Kratos Aurion!"

"Very good. Now release him if you value your life."

"Figures. Where there's one rebel, there's always more..." Jerald closes his eyes again, concentrating; magical power seems to almost swirl around him. I notice power swirling around Kratos as well.

"Jerald!" I yell. "Do as he says! He's too powerful for you! Don't throw your life away!" I don't know, but something about Kratos' disposition... I don't think he's going to go easy on the bounty hunter, to say the least...

"I'm not going to lose this bounty! Fire Ball!" Balls of fire charge at Kratos, but he doesn't move. Instead, he simply says one word: "Judgment."

As the fire balls hit Kratos, large pillars of light shoot down from the sky, blinding my view. I turn away, closing my eyes as I hear Jerald scream in pain. When the sound stops, I dare to open my eyes again.

The lightning cage is gone, and amazingly, the ship is still in good condition. However, I cannot say the same for the Jerald. His clothes are all tattered and he's covered in scars and bruises. He lays in his a pool of his own blood, crimson liquid still gushing out from him. He reaches out towards me before his hand falls and his eyes close. He's dead. He's... really dead...

I turn away from the sight, my eyes closed. "You... you didn't have to kill him!"

"I did what was necessary. He was a threat to us. If I had left him, he would have gladly presented you to the king, where you'd no doubt die. Would you have been happier with that?" the magic swordsman asks coldly.

He's right... but still... "You went a little overboard, don't you think?!" I demand. "You could've just wounded him...!"

"He would've kept coming. We already have enough to deal with already with the knights chasing after us. Now come on, we're almost at our destination."

I glance up at the sky. Kratos... is really powerful... Wait a second, are humans capable of wielding that much power? For some reason, it seems a little odd... but then again, I can use skills with my bow, right? I suppose it's no different from that...

"We're here. Hurry up," the man beckons. I notice the fallen bounty hunter once more. I shake my head and hurry to catch up with Kratos; I can't dwell on something like this when so many are after me...

The others are already off of the ship, waiting for us. "Let's hurry. Our time runs short," says Lloyd's father. We hurry down the long stretch of port where the boat let us off, where we reach a larger section of port. There are two crates of fish here... It smells like fish, and sea water... and I can hear the ocean crashing loudly... the cool sea breeze flowing through my hair... it seems familiar... _"Huh? Uh, no. I was just about to take a bite."_ Hey wait, that was from my memory at Lone Valley! "I've... I've been here... I think I had a picnic here once."

"This is a rather odd place for a picnic," Lloyd points out. "What brought you here?"

"I don't remember that much. It's a foggy memory..."

"The place we're going to is called Limestone Cave," Sheena says. "Does that help you remember at all?"

"Not really, except I think that's why we stopped for the picnic." Hm, come to think of it, didn't I get that horrible taste in my mouth with this memory? "...Somehow, I think this would be a memory that would be better to pass up. Let's go."

We head down a path to the right, which leads us straight up to the cave entrance.

The cave is dark, and even rockier than Lone Valley's cave. Straight ahead of the entrance is a sharp incline, which we jump down. We keep going straight to reach some stairs leading to a door, which we take. In this area, there's another door straight ahead, but we turn right just before we reach it. The pits of this area are filled with water, so we simply follow the path, ignoring the bridge to our left.

As we walk, a giant squid jumps out of the water and throws its tentacles at us. One hits a surprised Lloyd dead on, but he pulls out his swords without even flinching. He and the others immediately start attacking the giant squid, destroying it within seconds. I hurry over to Lloyd.

"Hey, are you okay?"

Lloyd stares at me like he doesn't know what I'm talking about. "Of course I'm okay."

"But it hit you dead on!"

"It did?" Lloyd looks to see if he's hurt. He's not bleeding at all... "I seem fine."

"Chester's right," Kratos says as he walks up. "You need to be more careful, Lloyd."

"But Dad—"

Kratos gives Lloyd a look that seems to say "We'll talk about this later", which causes Lloyd to sigh and mutter, "All right..."

I could've sworn that Lloyd took some damage there... but he seems to be perfectly fine... Maybe I misjudged the attack?

I follow the others down the path, which soon curves to the right. At the end of it, we find a switch. Colette happily pulls the switch, which causes us to hear rushing water. I stare at the pools of water around us, but nothing changes in them. We head back up the path. Instead of going into the previous room, we take the door that is now to our right. Inside is another pit that we jump down, but we're immediately attacked by a white giant squid and two white creatures that look like small ghosts with crimson horns. One ghost is in the front, followed by the squid; the second ghost brings up the rear. Both ghosts begin casting, power flowing around them.

"These are all stronger than the last one. Zelos, you and I will cast on the far Charona. Lloyd and Colette, you have the Kraaken. Sheena, Chester, keep the front Charona busy."

I guess the ghosts are the 'Charona'... I pull out my bow and an arrow, which I send flying into the Charona. It falls, losing its concentration. Sheena immediately rushes in, attacking with her magical papers.

Before Zelos and Kratos can fire off their spells, the back Charona creates a casting circle. The ground around us bursts into a circle of fire, sending the fire up through our group. If that wasn't enough, more fire rains down from above in large balls, hitting all of us. "This takes concentration, you know," I hear Zelos say. I continue firing at the front one.

"Don't overdo it," Kratos speaks up. "First Aid!" I feel my wounds from the fire attack healing as blue, sparkly magic falls around me. Again, the Charona gets its fire spell off quicker than Zelos, but this time it casts on the fighters, who are far enough away from me, Zelos, and Kratos for the spell to not reach us.

"Take this! First Aid!"

"Don't run! Thunder Blade!" A large sword made of lightning shoots down from the sky, hitting the Kraaken and the back Charona. It creates a circle of lightning on the ground, which engulfs all three enemies in explosive lightning. The front two die, leaving only the back Charona.

Sheena rushes up to it. "Pyre Seal!" The paper she uses to attack it bursts into a sphere of many more magical papers, knocking the Charona to the ground, dead. Sheena turns happily to us. "Did you see my attack?"

"Oh yeah, Baby. I was watching all right," says an over enthusiastic Zelos.

"For some reason, I don't think that was what you were focusing on," quips an annoyed Sheena.

"Let's keep going," I say as I head forwards, up more stairs. This looks to be the right way... ah good, everyone's following. There's an open door at the end of the stairs, which we take.

This area is very large with two pits—the one on the right is filled with water and the one on the left is bare. There's a path in between them, which we take. It leads to a new section with yet another pit, this one not filled with water. We jump down into this pit; there are two sets of stairs, one leading up to the platform we were just on and another farther down the cave leading up to another area. We take neither of these. Instead, Kratos leads us to a small hole between the stairs. As he starts to examine the hole, a dark song begins playing. Kratos walks away from us, pulling a cell phone out of his pocket and answering it. "Hello?" The rest of us watch him curiously. "...Yes. ...How many? ...I see... We're almost out of here, but the problem will be getting back... All right. You be careful, too. It'll be dangerous if they catch you talking to us. ...Bye." He hangs up the phone.

"What's going on?" Lloyd asks.

"That was Milard. It seems the king knows where we are and has dispatched more knights to come stop us. We have to hurry or we'll be caught. Sheena, you can make pacts with spirits, right? Do you think you can make a pact with Undine?"

"I can try."

"Good luck, Sheena! I know you can do it!" encourages Colette.

A woman emerges from the hole, bearing a large sword. She has long, blue hair with fins for ears. She's wearing a blue dress, but there are large holes in it for her legs to show through. She has shining silver armor on her shoulders and wears blue slippers.

"Are you Undine?" Sheena asks, surprised.

"Yes, I am," the mystic woman says.

Sheena takes a deep breath before speaking again. "I seek a pact with you. My name is Sheena—"

"I already have a pact."

"W-what?! With who?!"

"Klarth F. Lester," answers the spirit. "I cannot make another pact while my pact with him still stands."

"B-but Klarth hasn't been here yet! ...Right?"

"I haven't seen him in two thousand years, but I can tell that he's alive. And he has not broken our previous pact. Therefore, I cannot make another pact."

"Hm, I see... so all of the spirits Klarth made a pact with in the past still have a pact with him..." observes Kratos.

"S-so then how are we going to escape...?" asks a worried Colette.

"We'll just have to fly."

"Wait a sec," Zelos says. "You expect us to fly? All the way to Venezia? You're kidding, right?"

"Do you have any better plans?"

"Fly? But how are we supposed to fly?" I ask. Everyone stares at me, trying to decide how to answer.

"...I remember you," Undine suddenly says. "You joined Klarth and the others when we traveled to the future. Some of your power rests here."

"What do you mean?" The spirit goes back down inside her hole. "Wait! What do you mean?!"

A blast of deep, blue water hits me, knocking me backwards. I hear more in my head... another skill? Ice Fang...

Huh? Where am I? Is this... Miguel? It can't be... but there's the bridge... Everything's in flames! And destroyed... and the people are dead... This is my house, right? And that's... Ami?! She's... she's... no, this can't be right... she can't be... dead... I-I saw her not too long ago! Besides, I was just in Limestone Cave, there's no way I could suddenly be in Miguel!

"Chester... Chester, it's too dangerous here. Let's go to my uncle's place for now," I hear a voice say behind me.

"What about Ami and the villagers?! Are you planning to just leave them like this?!" I demand, but... this is just like the last memory... but how can it be a memory if Ami's alive...? "I can't do that! Go alone if you must! I'm gonna give them a proper burial, even if I have to do it alone."

"If whoever attacked the village returns, they're liable to kill you, too!"

The memory fades out and I return to the Limestone Cave. What was that...? How could it be a memory...? Ami's alive, right...? Unless... Oh no! "Ami! Ami might be in danger!"

"I think you're the only ones in danger here," a cocky voice says. We turn around to find ten knights entering the area. They jump down into the pit and we back up.

"Everyone up the stairs! Quickly!" Kratos barks and we follow his orders. "Demon Fang!" He uses his sword to create a blast of energy on the ground, which charges at the knights, knocking two of them back. He then runs up the stairs behind us. Colette pulls the first lever, which fills the pit with water. The knights start panicking as water rushes around them, bolting to the first set of stairs. Only one knight does nothing—he stands there as the water quickly flows up around him.

"Alvein, you idiot! Get out of there!" the leader of the knights yells. The knight in the pit snaps back to the scene around him, now noticing the water almost at his chin. He tries to run to the stairs, but his armor slows him down. As the water grows even higher, he throws off his helmet and gauntlets; it's Cless. He takes a deep breath and throws himself underwater, where he quickly tries to take off his heavy shoes.

"Chester, Zelos, let's drive them off," Kratos orders as he starts casting a spell. I nod and begin shooting at the knights. They pull up their shields to defend against my arrows, but that doesn't help much when Kratos yells "Grave" and sends spikes of the ground shooting up among them.

With most of his heavy armor off, Cless desperately tries to keep his head above the water and swim over to the stairs, but he's still too heavy. He pulls out his sword and takes another deep breath as he sinks under the water. I find myself watching curiously, wondering what he's doing. Power swells around him as he attempts to concentrate, floating in the water. He then disappears. He reappears right in front of me, gasping for breath on his hands and knees. How... how did he do that?! Kratos puts a sword to his neck. "Don't move. Chester, take his sword." I do as I'm told; I grab the sword and hold on to it while Kratos addresses the rest of the knights. "It'd be pretty embarrassing if one of your knights got kidnapped. Why don't we make a deal; you provide us with a ship out of here and we won't make you look like fools."

The knights begin discussing amongst themselves, too softly for us to hear. "All right, you win," says the lead knight. "You give us back Alvein, and we'll provide you with a ship."

Surprise overtakes Cless' face. He turns to the knights. "I thought the rules say that any knight weak enough to get captured deserves to die," he points out.

"You know, you should be pretty lucky if they're not going by those rules," Zelos says. "I wouldn't argue with that if I were you."

Cless and I exchange confused glances; realizing that, I turn my head away, annoyed.

"Colette, pull the lever. Knight, stand, but slowly," orders Kratos.

"Okay!" The water slowly disappears from the pit and Cless stands, Kratos keeping a sword to his neck the whole time. We descend the stairs and head to the platform the knights are on. "I want all of you to stay back. Lead us to the dock, but stay _far_ ahead of us," Kratos tells them. Grumbling, the knights obey. They lead the way out of the cave, and we follow.

"Hey, Kratos, don't you think this is a little odd?" I whisper.

"I agree," Sheena says. "It's unlike the knights of Alvanista to give up capturing us for the life of one knight."

"Maybe it's because of that weird skill he used?" suggests Lloyd.

"I'd appreciate it if you'd stop talking about me like I wasn't here," says an annoyed Cless.

"If they're that interested in him, maybe we shouldn't let him go," inputs Zelos, completely ignoring Cless.

"Alvein... where have I heard that name before?"

"At Miguel, remember? We talked to his father," Colette points out. "Oh that's right! That means this is your best friend, right, Chester?"

"More like a traitor..." I mutter.

"Huh?!"

"Now that's just unfair, Chester. You don't even have any memory of the last time you saw me."

He has a point... how do I know what to believe? Still... "Fine, then. Who _did_ attack me?"

"We're almost out," Kratos interrupts. "You two will have plenty of time to catch up later."

"I guess that means you're kidnapping me?"

"Of course. We have to find out why the knights are so interested in you that they'd do all of this to save you."

"...Chester, I'm not sure if I like your new friends... They're untrustworthy."

"Look who's talking," I shoot back.

"I—"

"Here's your boat," a knight announces. "Now give back Alvein."

"I have to make sure you won't follow us," Kratos explains. "So I'll wait until the ship's started. Then I'll throw the knight down to you."

The lead knight seems to glare at us under his helmet, but he says nothing. We board the ship.

"Liar," Cless mutters once we're on.

"A-are you sure this is okay, Kratos?" Colette asks, worried.

"He's our enemy, remember?" the ninja points out.

Kratos removes his sword from the knight's neck. "Zelos, tie him up."

"Why me?" He's answered by a glare from Kratos; the eldest swordsman then walks to the front of the ship. Zelos grumbles, but he finds some rope on the ship. "All right, hold your hands behind your back." Cless obeys and Zelos ties the rope around the young knight's wrists. With the knot tight and the ship setting off, Cless sits down. Zelos takes this chance to tie the knight up further, attaching him to the rail of the ship.

"Lloyd, is this okay?"

"Don't worry about it, Colette. Just trust Dad on this one."

"Okay..."

"I guess this means I'm officially kidnapped," he says contently, a small grin on his face.

"That's not something you should be happy about!" Sheena points out.

Cless says nothing; he leans against the rail of the ship and makes himself comfortable.

"After all of that, I'm getting kinda hungry..." Lloyd says.

"I'll try to make some food, then!" Colette offers happily. "What does everyone want?"

"Just some rice balls for me," Sheena says.

"I'll take a hamburger."

"Can you make some gratin?" I ask.

"All right. What about you, uh..."

"Cless."

Colette smiles kindly. "What do you want, Cless-san?" The rest of us stare at them, surprised.

"How about some miso stew?"

"Okay, coming right up!" Colette starts walking below deck.

"Hey, what about me?" asks the only person who didn't order anything: Zelos. "Wait! I'll help you cook!" He chases her down.

"Zelos! Come back here!" Lloyd follows both of them, leaving me, Sheena, and Cless.

"...I hope Colette's okay..." I mutter.

"Yeah, me too," Sheena agrees.

"Why? What's going on?" asks our captive.

...I think it'd be best to get away from him... "I'm going to the back." With that, I head off towards the back of the ship.

"I'll go see if Kratos needs any help." Sheena heads off to the front of the ship, leaving Cless alone.

Hm, I'm still holding Cless' sword, aren't I? I lean it against the rail at the back of the ship along with my backpack. I then stand against another rail, watching Isolated Island grow smaller and smaller. The wind blows through my hair and clothes, towards the island. Hm? What's that, coming towards us...? More ships... Ah! The knights must be coming after us!

I push myself off of the rail and hurry past a bored looking Cless and up to the front, where Sheena's steering the ship. "Sheena! The knights are after us!"

"What?! O-okay, send Kratos up! He went below deck to talk to Lloyd!"

I follow her orders and run below deck. Where are they...? I follow the smell of food into the kitchen, where Zelos and Colette are cooking. I tell them the news and hurry on to search for the father and son. I hear voices... that must be them! What room are they in...

"I'm sorry..."

"You need to be more careful. If Chester makes the connection, then our plan will fly out the window."

"I know, I'll be more careful..."

What are they talking about? If I make what connection...? What's going on here...?

"But Dad, didn't you suggest flying out of there anyway?"

"That's a different order. That's much easier to cover up, considering his background. Anyway, we need to figure out what to do with Cless Alvein."

"What do you mean?"

Cless?

"That skill he used in the water was no ordinary skill. First of all, it takes great concentration to warp—he, however, had minimal concentration."

"He was just trying to survive, right?"

"Spell casting isn't that easy, Lloyd. Plus we can't ignore the fact that it's a teleportation spell—but it didn't cast like normal spells, and nor did he make a spell circle, meaning it's probably a sword skill."

"Wait, is that possible? I've never heard of a sword skill that can teleport people!"

"Exactly. Then there's the fact that the knights did what we wanted to get him back."

"So that means he's pretty important to them, right?"

"Yes. He could help us in our battle against them... but it could be troublesome carrying him around."

"Aren't we just wasting time anyway?"

"Chester's memories could lead us to the other heroes, so it's not a waste. Either way, we need to move quicker; Dhaos doesn't have much time left."

Dhaos?! Didn't they say before... that the Heroes of Space-Time fought Dhaos?! Doesn't that make him our enemy...? But wait, are they working with him? What exactly are they trying to do?!

I hear some noise above deck. Oh yeah, the knights! I almost forgot! I burst open the door and tell them, "The knights—they followed us! I think they're attacking!" Both swordsmen run to the deck while I stay behind. What side am I on? Who's my friend... and who's my enemy? How do I know who to trust anymore...?

I'm stuck on this ship anyway... the knights want my life, so I guess I'll help the rebels out for now...

With that thought, I run up to the deck to help with the battle. The rebels and the knights are battling, my companions in between the captured Cless and the other knights. Kratos and Lloyd are each fighting two knights, while Sheena, Colette, and Zelos each have one. Another knight hurries over to Cless.

"Ice Fang!" The arrow I shoot turns into ice as it flies through the air. It hits the knight, knocking him back and causing him to drop his sword. I release a regular arrow, hitting him again.

"Chester!"

"It's about time you showed up!" Sheena says. "Where have you been?!"

"Save it for later!" barks Kratos.

Two more knights advance towards me. I jump into the air. "Eagle Shot!" The eagle wind blades knock the knights back and I hurry over to the sword on the floor. I put my bow on my back and pick the sword up, swinging wildly to get the knights away from me. When they're far enough away for my liking, I bring the blade of the sword to Cless' neck. "You need him alive, right?! Pull back!" It works. The knights stop. Good, I didn't really want to kill him... I'm glad my bluff worked. ...I've been hanging around the rebels for far too long if I'm using tactics like these... "I think you've forgotten that _we're_ the ones with the captive!"

"You said you'd give him back!"

"Well we lied, whoop de do," says a sarcastic Zelos. "Look, the fact is that we have Cless Alvein's life in our hands, so I suggest you back off if you know what's good for you."

"Leave us alone and we won't kill him," Kratos adds.

"Hmph, you rebels are too smart... Retreat! We'll get them later." The knights use ropes to swing back to their boat, no doubt humiliated by their loss. When the last of them leaves, I remove the sword from Cless' neck and breathe easily.

"Hey, Chester, did you really have to do that...?" Cless asks.

"It got the knights away."

"Would you have really killed me?"

No... I wouldn't have... but do I really want to tell him that...? I don't know if I should trust him or not... or if I should trust any of these people... What am I doing? What are _they_ doing? I don't... I don't want to be caught up in this any more!

My legs seem to start running on their own, and my hands throw open the door leading below deck as the people behind me call out my name. I slam the door behind me as I run, though I don't know where I'm going... I enter a random door and close it behind me before finally stopping. I'm in the bunkroom it seems... there are five beds. I do feel kinda tired... I trudge over to the closest one and collapse on it. It feels pretty comfortable... I can't go to sleep with my bow on... I push myself up just enough to get my bow and quiver off of my back, which I drop next to the bed. Then I crawl under the covers and attempt to go to sleep...

I don't know what to do now. I thought everything was fine, that we were fighting for the greater good... to stop the king and the knights from doing anything bad... but I never really questioned their true motives... What are they really after? Why do they need the Heroes of Space-Time? No... they don't need me or Klarth, they're just putting up the act until they find a certain hero... They're working with Dhaos, who was our enemy in the past, right...?

Come to think of it, are these people... normal? Something in my head, maybe in my memory, tells me that no human can wield as much magic as Kratos did when he used Judgment... Lloyd didn't even flinch when the giant squid attacked him, and he had no idea what I was talking about, but I'm almost positive that it hit him... and then there was the talk of flying... What do they have to 'cover up'? What are they hiding...?

So much for sleeping... that doesn't seem to be happening any time soon... I hear voices... are they looking for me? And footsteps now... they're getting louder...

The door creaks open and I shut my eyes, pretending to be asleep.

"Chester-san...?" Colette's voice rings through the air. I hear someone walk over, but I don't dare to look.

"He's asleep," Lloyd says softly. "He must've been pretty tired after that battle... let's let him rest."

"Okay..."

The footsteps retreat and someone turns off the lights. The door finally closes and I dare to open my eyes again. Even if I can't sleep, I don't want to talk to them... not yet...

The ship rocks softly in the waves. Other than that, the room's completely silent... My eyes are adjusting to the dark. There's a wooden desk in here, but other than that and the beds, there's nothing... it feels empty...

I roll over on to my back and stare up at the dark ceiling. I let out a large sigh... I don't think I'm going to sleep any time soon... I feel pretty tired, though...

I wonder when I'll get my memory back... I've already met my sister and friends of mine... Hey, come to think of it, when I was home... I didn't meet my parents... Where were they? I wonder if they know that I'm okay... What am I thinking? Of course they do. Ami and Mr. Alvein no doubt told them. Ami... I hope she's okay... I can't get that image out of my head... but there's no way it could've been a memory, so she's okay, right...? I hope this ship arrives soon... I really need to go check on her... Ami, please be all right...

**Chester gained the title of Loner. Who can you trust? Everyone seems to be turning against you...**

**Lloyd gained the title of Invincible Man. Was that supposed to be a hit? It didn't hurt at all!**

**Cless gained the title of Captive. It is a title given to one whose life is used as an escape route.**

**Chester learned Ice Fang.**

**Cless learned Lunge.**


	7. Orphan

**--Orphan--**

"Didja do your homework?" Arche asks excitedly, her face upside down.

"...What homework?" I ask, surprised.

"For Lester-sensei's class." She's sitting on her broom, which now turns her so that she's up straight.

"We don't have homework in his class any more! And don't pop in my face like that when I'm walking!"

"What about you, Cless? Did you do it?"

"Sorry, Arche, but I'm with Chester on this one. I don't remember any homework."

Arche sighs. "Lester-sensei's not going to be happy... He told us to write a paper on elements and elemental strengths and weaknesses, remember?"

I freeze. Cless and I exchanged scared glances. "He... did say something about elements, didn't he...?" Cless asks me.

I sigh. "He did..."

Arche sighs. "Geez, you two! You're going to give us all bad grades... I can't believe you're so lazy that you forgot to do your homework. How horrible!"

"You enjoy doing this, don't you?!" I demand, infuriated.

"Arche-chan! Wait up!" a voice calls. Mint runs up to us; she's wearing a school uniform now. "Ah! Cless-san, Chester-san!"

"H-hey, Mint..."

She catches up to us, smiling. She then notices Cless' face. "Is something wrong, Cless-san?"

Cless sighs. "Sorry... we forgot about the paper for Lester-sensei..."

Mint's face turns to one of confusion. "What paper?"

"Huh? You mean..." Cless and I turn to look at Arche, who's almost falling off her broom in laughter.

"Wow, I'm surprised you two actually believed me!"

"That's not funny! You did that on purpose!" I accuse.

"Ha ha, if you paid attention in class more, you'd know that there was no paper!"

"Why you...!"

Arche flies up higher, which causes me to yell, "Get back here, Arche!"

"Oh come on, Chester, don't be such a stick in the mud!"

"At least I'm not a lying little weasel!"

"What?! It's your fault for being such an idiot!"

"I'm not an idiot, you annoying girl!"

"Irritating man!"

"Obnoxious girl!"

"Weakling!"

"Terrible cook!"

"What did you say?!"

"What did _you_ say?!"

"What did you say what did you say?!"

"What did you say what did you say what did you—" Something hard and heavy suddenly hits me on the back of the head. I turn around—while we were arguing, Cless and Mint disappeared and have been replaced by Klarth! He stares down at me and says, "Are you going to get ready for class, Chester, or should I count you as late?"

"I-I'll be ready in a minute, Sensei!" I hurry off, but as I run, I hear him say, "And Arche, how many times do I have to tell you not to provoke him? If you want to provoke someone, then choose someone _out__side_ of your group."

"Yo, Chester-kun! Wake up!" Zelos' voice rings loudly.

Wait, Zelos? I open my eyes to find myself back on the ship, rocking steadily with the waves. "Was that a dream...?"

"Come on, sleepy head. You wanted to check on your sister, right? We're near Miguel."

"W-we are?!" That's right! Ami!

"Yeah, Lloyd-kun insisted, so—"

I grab my quiver and bow and burst past Zelos, running as fast as I can to the deck. I throw the quiver over my shoulder and continue running until I reach the deck. The bright sun almost blinds me, and I cover my eyes with my right hand. My left hand grips my bow tightly.

"Chester-san! You're up!"

I regain my sight and run off the ship, to the dock, without a word.

"Chester! Wait up!" Lloyd calls out, but I don't stop. I dash through the field, towards the town of Miguel. I enter from the north and run down towards the bridge, which I cross. I take a left and around my house until I reach the front door. I slam it open.

I run through the entranceway and up the stairs and spin to the left, into the dinning room, where Ami and a woman are sitting at the table.

"Onii-chan! You're home!" Ami exclaims. "Do you have your memory back?"

I feel like I want to collapse... I'm so tired from running so far... I'm breathing really heavily, and sweat's pouring down my face. I can't answer—all I can do is stare.

"Onii-chan, are you okay?"

"I'm... fine..." I manage to say between breathes. "Who's... this...?"

The woman smiles and stands. She has long, black hair that falls elegantly around her face. Her bright, emerald eyes watch me curiously on her small, pale face. She has a slender build under her green cloak and black dress. Her boots and gloves are both green with silver arm and leg guards. "My name is Lynn. You must be Chester-san. Ami-chan's told me so much about you."

I walk over to the table and take a seat in the last remaining chair, leaning my bow against the table. "It's nice to meet you," I say as my breath slowly returns to me.

"I'll get you something to drink!" Ami says as she stands up and hurries over to the refrigerator. She reaches into a cabinet next to it and pulls out a blue plastic up. There are just enough counters and appliances for a small kitchen; we have the bare minimum in that department it seems. In fact, the whole house is rather small, now that I look at it... And it looks like our parents aren't home... "Want some apple juice?" Ami asks as she holds up a fresh carton of it. I nod and she begins pouring it in the cup.

"...Hey, Ami, where are our parents?" I inquire curiously. Ami's grip slips and apple juice spills all over the counter. My sister reaches over for some napkins and I get up to help clean. Once the mess is gone, Ami hands me the cup, which I take back to my seat as she puts the apple juice away. She then sits down as well. I take a sip of apple juice before pursuing the question further. "Are they out for the day? I didn't see them last time, either."

"Um, well..." Ami looks down.

"You don't have any parents," a familiar voice says. "You two are orphans."

I spin to stare at the entrance, where Cless Alvein stands.

"Cless-san!" Ami yells as she jumps out of her chair and runs over to him.

"Hello, Ami," he greets with a warm smile.

"How come you never write? You have to tell me all about being a knight! What adventures have you gone on?! Are they dangerous?!"

Cless laughs. "Yeah, I've already been kidnapped. Right, Chester?"

"Ehhhh?!"

I sigh. "You don't look very kidnapped. And you're _far_ too happy for a captive."

"Ah, who's this?" Cless asks as he notices Lynn. She stands and introduces herself again. "My name's Cless Alvein. It's nice to meet you."

"You're a knight?" inquires the woman.

"Yes."

"Cless-san, do you want something to eat?" offers my sister.

"That sounds nice," Cless says as he walks over to the table. He walks into the next room while Ami opens a cabinet and pulls out some snacks. When Cless comes back, he's carrying a chair. He sets it right next to me and sits in it; I throw a glare at him. Ami hands the knight some apple juice and puts some chips and chocolates on the table. "Thank you, Ami."

The front door opens and Lloyd pokes his head in. "Chester, Cless, we're going to be around town. Let one of us know when you're ready to go!"

"Has _anyone_ heard of something called _knocking_?!" I demand. "And I thought Cless was a captive!"

"He is." With that, Lloyd exits.

I turn to stare at Cless, expecting an answer. He shrugs and says, "I don't have any weapons."

"We need to save Cless!" Ami says.

This is becoming chaos...

"Don't worry about it, Ami. I'm fine!"

Huh? That's an odd answer... and they're letting him run around on his own. There's something odd going on here...

Lynn giggles.

"Something funny?" I ask curiously.

"No, no." She stands. "Well, I'm afraid I must leave. Thank you very much for your hospitality," she says with a bow.

Ami, Cless, and I stand as well. "It was nice meeting you."

"Please come play with me again!"

Lynn smiles at my sister. "I will. Promise. Now if you'll excuse me." She walks away from the table and exits the house. The three of us remaining sit down again.

Cless makes himself right at home with the snacks. He keeps munching on chips while Ami watches him contently; none of us say a word. This silence is annoying... What's going on here? Why are they letting Cless go like this? How do they know he won't run?

"Chester," Cless starts, breaking the silence. I look up curiously. "The rebels told me everything. You're a Hero of Space-Time, right?"

"Ehhh?!" Ami bursts out. "Onii-chan?! A hero?! ...That seems unlikely..."

"What was that?" I sigh. "Yeah. We're traveling to get my power... and my memories." I take a large gulp of apple juice. That's all they want me for anyway... my memories...

"I guess we should head to the next summon soon, then," Cless says. Wait, has he joined the group? But he's a knight! And our captive! "If you'll excuse me, I need to see how my parents are doing. I'll be there when you're ready to head out. Bye, Ami."

"Bye Cless-san!" Cless leaves the house. After a moment of silence, Ami says, "Onii-chan, are you leaving again?"

"Yeah." ...But I'm not going with them. I'll get my memories back on my own.

"Be careful, Onii-chan..."

I stand. "I will." I grab my bow and walk towards the door. "...If anything happens, call me right away. I have my cell phone..."

"All right! You call me if you need anything, too!"

I grin. "What would I need you for?" I tease.

"Hey! Onii-chan, that's mean!"

I chuckle and wave before exiting the house. Outside, I glance around for the rebels. Zelos is standing on the bridge, flirting with a group of village girls. That's just like him... I walk towards the bridge and attempt to walk past him without a word; he, however, decides to stop me. "Hey, Chester-kun! These ladies probably know you—they're from this village!"

"I need to get ready for our departure," I say as I continue walking.

"You're no fun!" complains Zelos. "Ah well, I guess that means more hunnies for me!"

I take a left after the bridge start to go north, where we entered the town. Kratos is waiting there. I take a right and pass the big building—a church from the looks of it—and take another when I hit a wall. I walk down some stairs and past the weapon shop, where I find more stairs. Lloyd and Colette are talking by this exit... Lloyd notices me.

"Hey Chester! We were just thinking we should probably get some more items for this journey... If you're ready, you want to do that while we go get Cless?"

"Uh, sure..."

"Great, we'll meet you up at the northern exit—Kratos is waiting there."

I take a right and head around a large, stone wall. Up another set of stairs is the item shop, which I enter. The counter for the shop is on the right side of the store. Hm, I guess this would be a good chance to stock up... Ah! I just realized that I left my bag on the ship... there goes that laptop... maybe Cless saved it for me... Hm, either I can invest in another bag or get enough to carry in my pockets and quiver... Some apple gels, orange gels, and panacea bottles should be enough... Life bottle? I wonder what that does... it looks useful, but it's expensive... I guess I'll buy one. That cost a lot of gald, but at least I'm stocked up now... apple gels will definitely be useful. Hm, looks like I'll have to put most of this in my quiver... I'll carry some in my pockets for quick access.

The southern exit should be open by now... I leave the item shop and head back to the exit. This time, there's no one near the wall. I walk down the stairs and into the field. I continue south until I reach a forest... This forest looks familiar... Well, it's near Miguel, so I've probably been here before. I guess I'll take a look around.

I follow the shady path south until I reach a large clearing. I continue walking south until I reach a lake. The water's so clear... Oh, there's a path continuing to the left. I follow that.

A giant wasp charges out of the bushes and straight towards me. I hold my arms up for defense, which it scratches. I pull an arrow out and notch it on my bow. I pull back, aiming carefully at the wasp. As it charges at me, I release; the arrow goes straight through the creature and it falls, dead. I continue my trek.

I reach an area where the foliage is too dense to keep going forwards, but the path seems to continue to my left. I walk that way.

The path leads to a large clearing with the largest tree I've ever seen. The tree is definitely still alive, but it seems to be withering... its leaves are brown and it looks pretty beat up. I walk over to it and reach out to touch it.

A grunt sounds to my left. I spin around to find two large boars glaring at me—they begin charging. I take a step back and pull out an arrow—"Ice Fang!" The boar on the left falls but the other keeps charging; no time for another arrow!

Ow! I fly backwards and fall to the ground, clutching my stomach. It's wet... I'm bleeding... Here it comes!

I roll out of the way of a second attack and push myself up. I have to hurry and shoot... if I don't hit... I release the arrow; too soon! The arrow misses. The boar's jumping to ram me again. No...!

The creature flies to the side. What... happened...? A... wolf?! It's a dark wolf, almost black... I pull an arrow out and take aim, but my hands are shaking a little. Why am I shaking?! This is annoying!

The wolf stares at me with green eyes, the boar dead under it. It's holding something in its mouth... That looks like my cell phone! But I have it... no I don't. The wolf then starts walking away. It's leaving...? When it reaches the edge of the clearing, it looks back at me. ...I think it's... trying to tell me to follow... It keeps staring at me until I slowly begin walking towards it. It trots forward a little further and then looks back to make sure I'm following... Yep, it definitely wants me to follow it. The wolf leads me back to the lake and then takes a right. I keep my bow notched in case it tries to attack me; I'm not about to take any chances. As soon as the foliage to the right clears, it turns. When I turn the corner, I find it sitting ahead, waiting. It stands up and continues, taking the next path to the right. It makes a quick left and goes up another path. It disappears as it turns another corner, to the left. Hearing voices, I hurry to follow it.

When I turn the corner, I find it right next to me. I point the arrow at it as a warning and it lies down, dropping my cell phone in between its feet. It doesn't seem to want to hurt me... The voices keep growing louder. Wait, is that—Lloyd?! I run just past the wolf and crouch down, listening. This area is a dead end... did the wolf know I was trying to get away from them? No, it couldn't have!

"Chester!"

"Chester-san!"

"Are you sure he went this way?"

"No, but..." That's Cless. "...this is where we used to hunt. He knows this forest pretty well."

"What made him run off on his own?" Sheena asks.

"Is it because I joined the group?" Cless questions.

"I don't think that's it. He seemed pretty occupied with something... maybe there's something troubling him?" suggests Lloyd.

"Come on, he might be further in the forest. Cless, will you lead the way?"

They continue on, calling out my name. As their voices fade, I feel something wet touch my hand—the wolf's nose. It stands up and starts trotting away, this time not looking back. It disappears in the foliage of the forest. I guess that means I can go... Huh, I wonder why that wolf helped me... and how it knew what I wanted... Oh well, I won't get any answers by sitting here. I pick up my phone and exit the forest.

...Come to think of it, I don't really know where I'm going. I guess I should've asked earlier... I walk past the village and northeast, where the ocean lies. The beach... that brings back some painful memories... I think the boar opened up my wounds some... I take out an apple gel and stuff it in my mouth. I don't know what they put in these things, but they seem to help wounds heal faster... Oh yeah, I forgot about my cell phone... I wonder who I have on here. Ami... Arche... Cless... Lester-sensei? Hm... There's also Mint and Suzu... There are quite a few other names, names of people I haven't met yet... should I try calling one of them? Heh, who am I kidding? They won't be able to help me figure out where to go next. The best person for that would be Klarth... he's a Hero of Space-Time, too, right? He might want to know about the rebels... Klarth is a teacher, isn't he? Maybe this 'Lester-sensei' will know him... I click the button to start dialing that number and put the phone to my ear.

The phone rings a few times. "Hello?" a voice suddenly says.

"Ah, Lester-sensei...?"

"That's me. What do you need?"

"I was actually looking for another teacher, and I was wondering if you could help me get in touch with him."

"It might take me a minute, but I probably can. Who are you looking for?"

"Klarth."

Silence. He did hear me, right? Or is he looking up the teacher...? Then he breaks the silence by saying, "...I thought you said you were looking for another teacher."

"Huh?"

"I _am_ Klarth," says the man. "Klarth F. Lester."

I'm glad he can't see my face right now. It's probably bright red... this is embarrassing... And come to think of it, Undine said that exact same name...

"So whatcha need me for? And who is this, by the way?"

"I'm Chester. I heard you were also one of the Heroes of Space-Time..."

"Ah, that's right, you're with the rebels, right? ...Hey wait, what do you mean by 'also'?"

"I'm one, too. I'm the archer."

"...I see. No wonder you've joined the rebels."

"About that... I have a lot to tell you about them."

"If you're a Hero of Space-Time, then I have some things to discuss with you as well." After a pause, Klarth continues, "It's too dangerous to talk over the phone. Let's meet up in Olive."

"Olive? Where's that?"

"Freyland! Don't you remember anything from my history class?!"

"I have amnesia, remember? I don't remember _anything_."

"Oh... right. Well, where are you now?"

"Near Miguel."

"Figures... Okay, you'll have to catch a ship to Alvanista. Then you'll want the continent on the east... Go south until you find the east ocean. You can catch a ship there to Freyland."

"Isn't there a better way?"

"Not unless you have enough money for a plane ticket."

"How much is it?"

"15,000 gald."

I sigh. "You caught me there... all right, I'll be in Olive as soon as possible."

"One more thing. You're on the wanted poster here... try and lay low while in Alvanista."

"Understood. See you later, then." I hang up the phone. He sure doesn't know how to make things easy... I guess I should catch the next ship out, then. I head over to the port in the area. It seems that all I've been doing recently is traveling on ships... It's starting to get pretty old. It's a good thing I don't get seasick, I suppose... I pay the captain for a trip to Alvanista and wait out yet another sea ride. This time I stand by the rail in the back the whole time, not wanting to meet anyone. I learned my lesson last time... Dolphins follow the ship, so I pass the time watching them. When the ship arrives in Alvanista, I dash out of the port and quickly walk towards the city gate. I hope no one recognizes me... There's the exit to the city. I quicken my pace.

"Chester!" a girl calls out.

No! I'm so close! I start running.

"Hey, Chester! Wait up!"

Outside of the city, I pause. Which way did he say to go? East, right? Which way's that from here...?

"You didn't have to run!" the girl says from right behind me. I spin around to find Arche sitting above me, on her broom.

"You can't just call my name out in the capitol city!" I argue.

"And why not?"

"I'm wanted, aren't I?! Or are you _trying_ to get me captured?!"

"About that, why are you working with rebels?"

"I'm not! Not anymore, anyway." Okay, I'm calm... I don't know why I got so angry at her... I guess I lost my temper a little. ...Hey wait, she wasn't wearing that outfit before... Oh geez, this new outfit might be even stranger than Klarth's outfit. Her large earring is now a light blue. She has an undershirt that ties in the back like a scarf—pale green with diagonal aqua stripes. Her white shirt has a collar that folds over the rest of the shirt in many spikes, each with a white button at the end. Below where the two sides of the collar come together is a hole in the shirt, where the bottom of the undershirt pokes through a little before stopping. Her sleeves are very short, just going a little past her shoulder; they're lined in aqua. She's wearing a pink belt with a golden buckle. Just below the belt, two spikes from her shirt come down with a small white button on the tip of each; in the back, two more parts of her shirt continue down almost to her ankles. Her baggy pants are a light maroon that clamp around her leg above the ankles. Her white boots come up to her pants, where they end in more white, spiky cloth. Her long, light pink gloves go all the way up her arm, where they end in more spikes. Around her right wrist is an intricate gold bracelet and around her left is a multicolored one—aqua on top, maroon on the bottom, and gold in the center. "What's with the change of clothes?"

"Hm? Isn't it cute?" she asks enthusiastically.

"You have a strange definition of 'cute'..." I mutter dryly.

"What was that?!"

This is wasting time. It's already going to be night by the time I arrive at Olive. "If you'll excuse me, I have to get out of here before the knights arrive." I start walking away, but I can hear her broom following behind me.

"Where are you goin'?"

"It's none of your business!" She should just leave it alone. There's no reason to involve anyone else.

"That's so mean!" she yells. "We thought you were dead, and then when you show up, you start shooting at Cless! And now you're just running off without telling any of us where you're going?! I can't believe you'd be so selfish, Chester!"

She looks really upset... Did I say something wrong? I just thought it'd be best if she didn't get caught up in this, too... What do I do now? "I... I'm trying to get my memory back, so..." I sound pitiful, and I'm not even looking at her. I don't want to look at her face—she looked so upset...

"Then why don't you let us help you with that?! If anyone can help, Cless, Mint, Suzu, and I can!"

"There's a way for me to get my memory back and it's too dangerous for you!" I argue. "So stay here!"

Arche holds her head down and holds her hands in front of it like a triangle, gathering mana. Magic?!

"What are you—"

"Fire Ball!" She throws her hands up, where a magic circle forms; out of the magic circle shoots four fireballs that wiz right past my head and hit something behind me. I spin around to see a dead monster. "What was that about it being too dangerous?" asks the girl happily.

I guess if she's that insistent, she'll come no matter what I say... "All right, whatever. You can come if you can lead me to Olive."

"Roger!" She hops off of her broom and lands next to me, carrying her broom in her right hand.

"You're not going to fly?"

"It takes a lot of energy to fly for that long! Now come on, let's head to Olive." She starts walking left and I follow. We cross a bridge to a larger landmass—from what I can tell, Alvanista is on an island. We keep walking, reaching a forest, until we hit a mountain range. There we turn right and keep going, following the mountain range. We find some enemies on the way, and Arche's magic proves to be quite useful. By the time we reach the end of the mountain range, it's well past dark. I pull out my cell phone to find that it's almost eleven at night. We walk towards the ocean, where we find the port. There I pay for yet another ship ride.

The ship reaches the next port pretty quickly, to my relief. When we leave the port, we find ourselves in a dark desert.

"Is this Freyland?" I ask.

"Yep! We're going to Olive, right? It's just a little further."

"Oh, joy..." I mutter sarcastically. Everything looks the same in the desert, but I guess Arche knows where we're going. We pass two small mountains, and after the second I see greenery—that must be the town.

"There it is!" Arche yells as she hops on her broom. "Race ya there!" Without warning, she zooms towards the village.

"I'm _not_ racing!" I yell after her as I walk, exhausted after that long journey. We enter the humid village from the north. I'm too exhausted to describe it tonight... I'll worry about that in the morning... Now, where's the inn...? There's Arche—looks like she found the inn. Good...

There's an old man behind the counter; I walk up to him. "We need two rooms for the night."

"What are your names?" the man asks.

"Chester Barklight."

"Arche Klaine."

He's taking too long to look at his chart...

"Mr. Barklight, we have you down already. Your room's through there, first one on the right. Ms. Klaine, we have an available room next to that."

"That sounds lovely."

He hands us each keys and we head off to our rooms.

"Hey, how come they already had you down?" Arche asks me.

"Someone's been waiting for me," I answer simply. When I reach the door, I turn the knob to find that it's already unlocked. "Night. See you in the morning."

"Good night!"

I slip into the dark room; Klarth is already asleep in one of the beds, his hat hanging on the lamp next to him like a second lampshade. I softly close the door and deposit my items next to the remaining bed. I pull the covers up around me... ugh, this is a desert... It's too hot for that! I throw most of the covers off, which feels much better... I allow my body and mind to relax and slip into darkness...

**Chester gained the title of Orphan. It is a title given to one who does not have parents.**

**Klarth gained the title of Summoner of ****Space-****Time. It is a title reserved for the Hero of ****Space-****Time gifted with summoning powers.**

**Klarth gained the title of Hat Hair. You mean you don't sleep in your hat?**

**Arche joined the party.**


	8. Starving Man

...I _like_ ketchup on eggs... Chester doesn't know what he's missing.

Er, I mean... enjoy the chapter! Sorry for there not being much action in this one...

**Disclaimer: Same as before. I do not own Tales of Phantasia or Tales of Symphonia. They are owned by Namco. I owned the dead bounty hunter from a few chapters back! (:D')**

**--****Starving Man****--**

I leave the inn only after cleaning up—it feels so good to clean up after running around for so long...

Olive is a town built around an oasis. There are many trees and other greenery in the vicinity, but the ground is still primarily sand. The oasis is to the left when exiting the inn, and there's a few buildings built on the water. One of which is a restaurant—where the proprietor of the inn told me Klarth was waiting.

"Hey, wait up!" I hear Arche call as I walk across one of the wooden bridges leading towards the restaurant. I pause and wait for her to fly over. She yawns, tired.

"Good morning. Overslept a little?"

"You're just getting out, too!"

"I'm wide awake. I've had plenty of time to wake up."

Arche glares at me and I turn away, feeling myself grin. I walk up to the door of the restaurant and open it; Arche hops off of her broom and walks in behind me.

"Welcome to the Curry!" the hostess at the front says. "How many will there be this morning?"

"We're meeting someone here," I say as I glance around. Because of the wooden walls in the front, I can't see some of the restaurant...

"Are you Chester?"

"Yeah."

"Right this way. And I'll be with you in a minute, Ma'am."

"I'm part of their group, too!" Arche yells.

"Oh yeah, I guess he didn't know that you were coming."

"So then it's a table of three?" the hostess confirms as she grabs another menu. "All right. Please follow me." She leads us to the right and past many tables before I see Klarth's hat poking up from a booth. The hostess places the menu on the table and says, "Please enjoy;" she then walks away. I take a seat across from Klarth, placing my bow and quiver by the wall next to me, while Arche stands there, surprise covering her face.

"L-Lester-sensei?! What are _you_ doing here?!"

Klarth looks up, bewildered. "I should be the one asking you that."

"She followed along," I explain.

"You do realize it's dangerous, right?"

"Better watch out!" says a hyper Arche. "Last time Chester said that, I almost hit him with some fire balls!"

"You threw those straight by my head on purpose!" I can't believe her! I thought she was just trying to attack that monster, but she used that as an excuse!

Klarth sighs. "If you're both going to be here, please try not to argue..." He then looks up at Arche. "And you can have a seat."

"Oh! Right!" she places her broom next to Klarth and takes a seat next to me. Figures... Klarth takes a sip of his drink—water from the looks of it.

"So, Chester. How have you been?" Klarth asks.

"Let's just say that a lot has happened..."

"Like what?" questions the witch curiously.

The waiter walks up and asks Arche and I what we would like to drink. Hm... I hadn't really thought about that. I wonder if I like tea? I guess there's only one way to find out. Arche orders pink lemonade and I order sweet tea. The waiter leaves again to get our drinks.

"Do you still not remember anything?" the teacher asks.

"Well... I've gotten a few memories from gathering some of my power, and I had a dream a few nights ago..."

"I don't think you're getting memories of this life with your power," the other hero states.

"What do you mean?"

"When I got Sylph and Maxwell, I also saw visions... visions of a time I have not experienced in this life. My guess is that those memories are from our previous lives."

"What are you two talking about? Previous lives?"

We stare at the girl a minute before Klarth sighs. "You brought her but didn't tell her where you were going?"

"I didn't want her to come!"

"Well, to tell the truth, Chester and I are reincarnations of the Heroes of Space-Time," explains Klarth. "Our power has been scattered around the world; sounds like we've each regained two segments of it. And along with these segments of power, we get memories from our previous lives... when we were the heroes that defeated Dhaos. Or at least, that's what seems to be going on."

"Wow... how long have you known?!"

"I knew that I was one ever since before I started teaching you. Chester... my guess is he found out for the first time a few days ago." I nod in agreement.

"No wonder you emphasized that section of history so much..."

"I-I did?"

"Yep. _Everyone_ in the class knew that you loved that subject."

"O-oh..."

"So you were our history teacher?" I inquire. The waiter returns with our drinks and a basket of bread.

"I was last semester."

"Are you three ready to order now or do you need a few more minutes?" the server asks.

Oh! Food! I completely forgot!

"I'm ready. What about you two?" Klarth asks.

"I know what I want!"

I guess I'm the only one who doesn't know. It'd help if I remembered what I like... I guess the best thing to do is ask for suggestions. "What's the best thing here?"

"If you want a good breakfast food, we're well-known for our omelets. You can get any type of omelet you want here."

"How about just a regular cheese omelet, then...?" That sounds like it might be good.

"All right. And you, Ma'am?"

"I'll take three scrambled eggs; hash browns diced, dashed, and covered; and toast!" orders Arche. The waiter quickly writes down her order before turning to the last at our table.

"Chocolate chip waffles."

"All right, I'll be right back with your order."

"Arche, I hope you're not wasting too much of my money," Klarth complains.

"It's good to have a big breakfast!"

I finally take a taste of the tea. ...Hey, it's not half bad. The bread looks pretty good, too... I take a knife and a piece of bread and start spreading some butter on it. I then take a bite. ...Wow! This is extremely good!

"Chester, you might want to slow down a little..."

Arche giggles and says, "You act like you haven't eaten in days!"

I throw a glare at her as I wait to finish the bite I'm in the middle of. As soon as I swallow it, I combat, "I _haven't_ gotten good food in a while. I've been living off of apple gels. The last two meals I tried to have were interrupted by fights!"

"That rough, huh?" mutters Klarth as he butters up a piece of bread for himself. "You could have more than an omelet, you know."

"Ah..." He's right. Why didn't I think of that sooner?

"How 'bout we get a dessert if you're still hungry, then?"

"Really?"

"Why not? I have plenty of money."

"Hey, you were complaining that I was wasting it!"

"You've had plenty of good meals recently," Klarth argues. "Chester hasn't. Besides, you came uninvited."

"Are you really going to be able to eat that much?" I ask her.

"Of course!"

"You're going to be fat by the end of this meal."

"Hey! No I won't! I usually eat this much!"

"No wonder..." I mutter, but a warning glare from Klarth tells me it'd probably be best if I stopped there.

"No wonder what?!"

"Nothing!"

"I'm _not_ fat!"

"I never said you were!" Geez... this girl's so hard to deal with. I can't believe I was actually friends with her!

Klarth holds his head, exasperated. "Will you two quit arguing for just five minutes?"

We glare at each other a little longer before turning back to the table; I'm sure she's as annoyed as I am. We finish off the bread in silence, waiting for our meal. I don't like this silence... it feels too tense.

...I wonder what Klarth wanted to talk to me about... and why we have to be in Olive to talk about it. Surely he could've found somewhere closer...

Here comes the server with our food. He places all of it down in the right spots and then asks if we need anything else. We thank him and he retreats while we begin eating.

There's a lot of cheese on this omelet... it tastes better that way. The food's a little too hot for a desert, though... I'm glad I have a cold drink! Klarth pours syrup all over his waffles before he starts cutting it carefully. And Arche... what the?! She's putting _ketchup_ on her eggs?! Ick... that just looks disgusting. She has one large full plate with her eggs and hash browns—now all covered in red from the ketchup—and a small plate with her toast. She eats happily, switching between all of her food. I continue eating my omelet.

When Klarth finishes his meal, he leans back in the booth, relaxing. "So. You had some things wanted to tell me?"

I stop, bringing the bite I was about to take away from my mouth. "Yeah... it's about the rebels." Arche looks up from her meal as well, curious. I set my fork down and start telling them what I know. I tell them everything—from the talk of flying to Kratos' magic and Lloyd's immunity to the conversation I overheard. I tell them about Cless' warp power and about how he's joined the rebels. I tell them my conclusions, about how they're using us to look for a certain Hero of Space-Time. When Klarth questions how I left the group, I tell him about the wolf that saved me and helped me escape. After the story, we all sit in silence. I can't tell what they're thinking—they seem to both be processing this information. If I made a wrong assumption, surely Klarth would know...

"I see..." Klarth finally says. "We can't be sure on their motives without questioning them... but I can understand why you left. We definitely need to find out just who the rebels are and what they want. I hate to admit it, but I never really questioned their true motives, either." After more silence, he says, "Well, I guess it's my turn, then." I nod in agreement and the summoner reaches into his pockets. He pulls out a folded up sheet of paper, which he places in front of me. "It's your choice whether you want to read it or not."

"...What is it?" For some reason, I don't like the way he said that...

"My assistant Milard found it in the castle. We don't know who wrote it, but it opens up a lot more mysteries and provides some clues for answering them..."

I grab the sheet of paper and unfold it. Arche leans over my shoulder to see, so I hold it so she can read as well. It says:

_"I can't stand this. How can anyone? I knew I never liked the royal government, but this... this is just too much. I never expected any of this... they keep it well hidden. I can't even write what I saw because if I try, I'll die here. So I won't. Instead, I will write a promise here... it's a promise I made to all of my friends. I promise that one day, I'll find a way to expose the wrongdoings of the king and his followers, no matter what price I have to pay. I want to make it so that people in the future can live safely, without fear... so that no one has to bear the same fate as all of us here. I've managed to gather a few clues of people who know about these crimes—maybe they'll help me. One is a man named Morrison. It's said that he died bringing the Heroes of Space-Time to our time, but I hear his son still lives. The second person is a healer that the king's spies have been keeping a shape eye on... that seems a little odd. I hear she was last seen on a ship headed to Freyland, so hopefully I'll find her there. ...This is a dangerous task, and no doubt the king will try everything in his power to stop me. If I should be caught, I only hope that this letter may end up in the hands of someone who will continue my quest to expose the crimes of the king and his knights."_

"So neither side is to trust..." I mutter as I finish reading the letter. I wonder where the writer of this is... did he get caught? I want to know more about what's going on with the king... what are the crimes this person wrote about? And why would he die if he tried writing what he knew?

"But Mint isn't bad!" argues Arche. "Not all of the royal family is bad!"

"I agree," Klarth says. "Mint is a good girl... When she becomes queen, she'll no doubt put a stop to whatever is going on in that castle now. Until then, though, it sounds like people continue to get hurt."

"So this healer... is that why you asked me to come to Olive? So we can find her?"

"Exactly. I don't know how long ago that letter was written, so she might not be here anymore... but it doesn't hurt to look, now, does it?"

"And if we don't find her?"

"The next summon is in this area. We might as well get some more powers while we're here." He then turns to Arche. "What are you planning on doing now that you know all of this?"

"I want to come!" Arche says defiantly. "I'm not about to just sit around and let you two wander off alone!"

"She means it too..." I mutter dryly.

"Well, if you're that determined, nothing we can say is going to stop you," Klarth concludes. "Do you want anything else to eat, Chester?"

"Ah...!" I forgot about my food. There's not much left... and I _am_ still pretty hungry... I finish up the last of my omelet in only a few more bites.

"What do you want to eat?" Klarth asks as if he read my mind.

"I don't need too much more..." A plate with three pieces of toast slides over my way. I look up at Arche questioningly.

"I'm full, and I didn't like their toast that much. You can have it," she says as she leans back in the seat.

Wow, that's... surprisingly nice of her... I guess she _does_ think about others every now and then... good to know. ...For some reason, I feel... content? "Thanks..." I take the jelly on the table and use a knife to spread some on the first piece of toast. I begin eating; it tastes very fruity. Arche and Klarth engage in small talk about the college and Arche's classes as I eat. The server drops off the bill as I start on the second piece. Klarth puts the money in and the server picks it up and takes it to the back; he finally returns again with the change. All finished, the three of us gather our things and stand up from the booth. I notice Klarth leave a tip as we leave.

Oh yeah, I forgot out hot it is outside... and how bright. Why'd I wear two shirts...? I've barely been outside and I'm already building up a sweat...

"This heat is horrible!" complains the witch. "Let's hurry up and find that healer so we can get out of here!"

"All we know is that she was headed this way... she could be anywhere on Freyland," Klarth points out, making both Arche and me groan. "Luckily, I had time to ask around yesterday. She should be treating people at the hospital."

"Where's that?"

"It's the building next to the inn."

"Well that's reassuring," I quip dryly. We head off towards the building. It's made of bricks, unlike most of the wood buildings in this town... it looks pretty new. It's also the largest building in the area—it's easy to spot from anywhere in the town. We walk in, where a secretary at the front greets us.

"Can I help you with anything?" the woman asks as she stares through her glasses at us.

"Yes, we're looking for a healer... I hear she came across the ocean to help here," Klarth says.

"W-what are your names?" the secretary questions, a hint of nervousness in her voice.

"My name is Klarth F. Lester. I'm researching magic, and these are my students. It'd help all of us if we could have a word with the healer."

"What school are you from?"

Huh? That's a lot of questions for a simple visit... and why is Klarth hiding the truth? Is it really this hard to talk to the woman?

"You have nothing to be afraid of. We're simply here for learning, nothing more," Klarth assures the secretary. "We have nothing to do with the knights or the king, if that's what you're worried about."

The woman behind the desk pauses. "W-wait here. Let me talk to her..." She stands up and walks out a door behind her office.

Klarth turns around to meet both me and Arche. "What?" he says. "I didn't lie."

"Wow, I didn't know you were so good at bending the truth, Lester-sensei!" Arche says.

"Heh heh... Oh, and Arche, I'm not teaching you right now, so you don't have to call me 'sensei.'"

"Then can I call you Professor Lester?" she asks, purposely emphasizing the parts that sound alike. I stifle my laughter.

"Definitely not that... _Anything_ but that." Arche giggles.

"Who are you?" a new voice asks. We turn to find that a new woman has entered the room. She has long, straight blonde hair and timid blue eyes. She's wearing a plain white dress with a white shawl. Her earrings are the most ornate thing—they're white and spiral down in a cone shape.

"My name is Klarth F. Lester. I'm looking for the healer that traveled here..."

"That's me. My name is Meryl Adnade."

"It's nice to meet you," Klarth says politely. "If you don't mind, can we talk in an office or something?"

"I'm a busy person. I don't have much time for this. What do you want?"

"Hm, I see... if that's the case, then let's get to the point." Klarth reaches into his pocket and pulls out the letter, handing it to Meryl. "Please read this." The woman takes the paper and reads it in silence. When she finishes, she returns it to the summoner. "Will you help us with this?"

"There's nothing I can help you with," Meryl replies simply. "If you pursue this, it'll be your life they're after next."

"They're already after my life," I tell her. "And they'll probably be after Klarth's once they know who he is."

"What do you mean?"

"The archer and I are Heroes of Space-Time. From what I hear, you have the skills to be one, too... we should definitely find out if you are."

"I... I'm not!" the healer bellows, though she sounds nervous... What could she be so nervous about? Is she one, but scared to join us...?

"You can't be so sure," argues Klarth. "I didn't know I was one until a few years ago. Chester found out a few days ago."

"I know that I'm not a hero. Besides, they were summoned twenty-nine years ago, right?" she points out. "I'm too old to be a hero. Now if you'll excuse me, I have patients to tend to..." She spins around and retreats further into the hospital without another world.

"That didn't get us very far..." mumbles Arche.

"She's definitely hiding something. She knows more than she's telling us," the eldest of our group concludes. "Still, we can't force it out of her. I guess we'll head on to Efreet for now. Let's head back to the inn to gather the rest of our stuff." We enter the inn and Klarth and I go into our room while Arche enters hers. I sit down on my bed while waiting for Klarth to pack his large, tan bag.

"You brought a lot," I observe.

"We're probably going to be traveling for a while, so we'll need to bring good supplies with us. I have a few small blankets—couldn't fit anymore—lots of food, bandages, books for recording information about our enemies and items we find, a pocket knife, plus room for items we find along the way. You might want to get a bag as well."

"I had one, but I left it on the ship. The rebels probably have it now."

Klarth slings the bag over his back. "Now we're just waiting on Arche. Want to knock on her door and let her know we're ready?"

"Sure thing." I walk into the hall and one door over. I knock and say, "We're ready whenever you are."

"Okay, hold on!" she calls through the door.

Klarth closes the door to our room, his bag on his back and a book under his left arm. "Can I have your key? I'll turn them in while we wait."

I reach into my pocket and pull it out. "Here." He takes the key and walks out of the hallway, towards the front of the inn. I sit down against the wall and wait... at least in here there's some air conditioning...

Is that Arche? I can here her voice... is she talking to someone? Who? What's she saying...?

"Only as sure as I can be from a letter," her voice says softly. "You're in charge of that information... Yeah. Lester-sensei and Chester are the Heroes of Space-Time... Yeah. They're traveling to get their powers. I'm going with them. ...I'll see what else I can find out!"

Arche sounds like... a spy?! She hasn't turned against us, too, has she...?

My body grows tense as I push myself up and grab the door knob. I turn it and slam the door open. Arche's sitting on her bed, a phone to her ear and shock plastered on her face. "C-Chester!"

"Just... just who are you?! What are you doing?!" I demand. "Are you spying on us?!"

"You were eavesdropping!"

"At least I'm not a traitor!"

"I'm _not_ a traitor! I'm gathering more information!"

"Then who are you talking to?!"

"It's none of your business!"

"All right, what's going on here?" Klarth asks as he walks up behind me.

"Chester's getting jealous 'cause he thinks I'm talking to my sweetie!" the witch easily lies. Why that little...!

"I am not! And besides, if you have a boyfriend, he must be crazy!"

"What was that?! I've had _way_ more boyfriends than you've had girlfriends! And held them longer!"

...This is just sad that she knows more about me than I do. And plain annoying! "I don't care about something so trivial! That doesn't even matter right now!"

"You're so boring!" complains the pink-haired girl. "If you must know, I'm talking to Mint. She's going to see if she can find out what the letter was talking about."

Eh? The princess is... going to help us? No, that'd go against her father...

"Are you sure she'll really want to help us?" Klarth points out.

"You can ask her yourself," offers Arche. Klarth takes her up on that offer and grabs the phone.

"Hello, Mint? ...Yeah. Sorry about the arguing, you know how Chester and Arche can get..."

"What's that supposed to mean?!" I demand. This is really getting on my nerves!

"Milard found it in the castle. ...Oh, right. She's one of the servants there. She helped me with my research when I lived in the castle as well. ...Yeah. ...All right. Thank you, Mint. We'll be counting on you and Milard for more information. Here's Arche." Klarth hands the phone back to the girl.

"Are you sure this is all right?"

"It's fine. Mint didn't even know that anything was going on... But now that she knows, she'll probably be able to delve deeper into the secrets of the castle than any of us."

I guess I jumped to conclusions too quickly... Arche looks kinda upset... not that I blame her... She hangs up the phone and lets herself fall onto the bed.

"...I'll be outside when you two are ready," Klarth says as he ducks out.

Oh, great... he's leaving me to deal with her... well, I guess this _is_ my fault... What should I say to her...? I guess I should apologize, but how...?

"Arche... I... I'm sorry for jumping to conclusions. I've just had so many people betray me recently..."

"Not everyone's going to betray you, Chester. Some people are sincerely trying to help you, and others may lie to you to twist your thoughts."

"I know..." I guess I've dug myself in pretty deep this time. "Is there... any way I can make it up to you...?"

"Yep! But let me think on it a little... We'll just say that you owe me something, 'kay?" she says, now happy again.

"Somehow I don't like the sound of that..."

"Now if only I could get Cless to owe me..." she mutters. "Then maybe I could get him to go out with me... Or better yet, spend the night with me!"

"Idiot. I'm glad I'm not Cless..."

"Jerk."

"If you're ready, then let's go," I say calmly. She stands up and grabs her broom. We walk out, and Arche gives her key to the proprietor. Outside, we find Klarth waiting.

"So, you two ready?"

"Yeah."

"All right! To Efreet!"

**Chester gained the title of Starving Man. It is a title given to one who doesn't remember ever having a decent meal.**

**Arche gained the title of Spy. Getting information is easy**** for one like her!**

**Chester gained the title of Incredulous Man. It is a title given to one who is quick to not trust anyone.**

**Klarth gained the title of Mediator. ****He has ****his**** hands full trying to get ****his**** companions to stop arguing...**

**Klarth joined the party.**


	9. Lazy Student

**--Lazy Student--**

We walk out of the village through the south entrance and immediately head left. We walk towards a large set of rocky mountains, where we find a cave entrance. We enter; geez it's hot in here! It's hotter in here than in desert! I don't know how long I can take this heat...

"Welcome to the Cave of Burning Sand..." says Klarth.

"Why is it so hot?!" demands the girl.

"It's Efreet's power. He should be just up ahead." Straight ahead of us is a pool of lava that continues up and to the left. We walk to the right of that pool. Straight is more tunnel, but to the left there's a door. We walk through it. This leads to another large tunnel, and ahead is another door. We walk up to this one, but it refuses to open.

"There must be a switch... I guess we'll have to look around."

"You're _not_ serious."

"If we're lucky, it's in this area..." The teacher turns and glances around the tunnel. He starts walking to an opening on our right, which leads to another path... and more lava. At the end of the path is a pool of lava, but on the other side of the lava is a switch.

"And just how are we supposed to hit that?!" demands the witch. I stare at her. She can fly, right...? She turns back to us to find both Klarth and me staring at her. "W-what are you two staring at?!"

"Why don't you just fly over and hit the switch?"

"You want me to fly over lava?"

"What, are you saying you don't have enough control to even do that?" I tease; that got her.

"I have _plenty_ of control! Just watch!" She throws her broom down and _stands_ on it as she flies across the lava. I really don't understand that girl... she should've just gone over in the first place. And she doesn't have to stand on her broom. She puts one hand on the wall and hits the switch with the other. She begins banging on the switch. "It won't budge!"

"Calm down and examine it," orders Klarth. "Do you see anything wrong with it?"

Arche pauses, staring at the switch. "Hey, there's something stuck in it! ...What's this?" A burst of fire suddenly shoots out from whatever she's holding, and Arche falls back in surprise.

"Arche!" Luckily the lava pit is short on that side—she manages to slip back far enough for me to catch her. I reach my arms out to help... uh-oh, I misjudged. She slams straight into me, knocking me down on my back. "Ow..."

"Ouch..." Arche sits up. "Ah! Oh no, my broom!"

I put my arms behind my body and push myself up as well. Her broom's sinking in the lava...

"At least you're okay, right?" Klarth points out, trying to cheer the girl up.

"Yeah... you're heavy, you know!"

"I am not!"

"Are too!"

"Children!" the summoner calls us down. "Arche, we'll get you another broom as soon as we return to Olive. Now, what did you find?"

"This." She holds up a silver ring with a maroon stone. "Watch!" she holds it out and the ring shoots out fire.

"I think I've read about this!" Klarth says as he snatches the ring. "This must be the Sorcerer's Ring!" He holds it out and watches the fire charge away from him. "It really _does_ have the powers I've heard about... Arche, do you realize how great this find is?!"

"If you like it that much, you can keep it..."

She seems kind of down... is she still upset about her broom?

"All right. We need to get Efreet before we burn up," Klarth states as he puts the ring in his pocket. We head back to the door, which is now wide open. A skeleton and two other monsters come out through the door, attacking us. The other two monsters look a lot like ladies, except with fire for hair. They have on long, maroon cloaks and their skin is a reddish color. I pull my bow and an arrow off of my back and take aim. "Ice Fang!"

"Ice Tornado!" A cyclone of ice bursts through them, throwing them up in mountains of ice. I release another arrow, destroying the closest of the fire monsters.

"Come, Maxwell!"

A distortion in space opens up as an old man in an overly large hat comes out. He has a long, blue cloak to match his hat and he's carrying a staff. His white mustache is really long, falling straight down around his mouth, and his eyes are so narrow that I have to wonder if he can see. He holds his staff up and the same large energy bubbles that I saw coming out of the sky before explode around the cave, destroying the enemies. The summon spirit disappears.

"Good job, you really _have_ been learning a lot in my class!"

"It's fun learning how to use magic with you and Sylph!" Arche agrees.

"I though you taught us history." This is confusing...

"As I said before, that was last semester. This semester I've been teaching a different class."

"It's a fighting class. Most days we get to practice magic or with our weapons, and other days we learn about monsters. Like those. Those were Djinns and a Skeleton!" Arche says proudly.

"Wow, I'm glad you've paid so much attention! It makes me feel accomplished as a teacher. The other person in this group is good at doing the opposite of that..."

"It's not my fault I can't remember anything!"

In the next room, we reach a large pool of lava that covers almost the entire room. Across from it is another spit of land... I hope we don't have to get over there...

"Efreet should be around here..." Klarth pulls out the sorcerer's ring again and shoots a blast of fire over the lava. The lava bubbles before bursting up. As it clears, we see the upper body of a muscular man made of fire... The rest of him fades into flames like a tail.

"It's been a while, Klarth. I'm amazed you're still alive," the creature says.

"Not exactly. I've been reborn. And from the sound of it, I'd guess that you have a pact with me as well?"

"That's correct. While you have not broken the pact, surely you aren't journeying for the same reason as before...?"

"To beat Dhaos, right? No, that's not it his time... though it might come to that if he proves to be a threat again. I propose a new pact. There's something wrong going on in this world... many people are getting hurt for it. I vow to find out what's going on and prevent any more people from being killed."

"...I accept your vow. Present the garnet ring."

Klarth holds out his hand, which is silver with a small oval garnet on it. The creature Efreet bursts into flames, which enter the ring. Klarth stalls.

"Is something—" No wonder. I feel it, too... my power is coming back to me... Is this another skill? It must be... Ah, and here's another vision...

"So this is the time machine?" I ask in the memory. I can kind of make out the room this time... except it's dark, so all I can see are colors... there's something large glowing in front of me...

"Main system activated... Bio-ROM check," a mechanic voice booms.

"Hey... this is..."

"Welcome to the Mother Computer Room. I am Cust. I provide all functions throughout Thor city. Select objective."

"We're here to travel through time!"

"Voice recognition activated. Time warp device driver activated. Anti-gravity energy check... Energy verified. Indicated the number of years relative to the present."

"The time is exactly fifty years from now. The place, the future village of Toltus."

The voices fade out... when they return, the setting is different. This time we're outside... looks like there are some buildings around. Other than that, I can't see much...

"Is this Toltus in the future?" my voice questions.

"It's the town of Miguel." Miguel! That's my home village!

"...I'll go on ahead to Venezia and hire a ship to Alvanista. Meet me there as soon as you're ready."

"Okay, that makes five of us now!" I feel like I should know that voice... it sounds so familiar... If what Klarth said was true, then that should be another one of the heroes... Wait, I thought there were six heroes! What does he mean 'five of us' if this is the time when we were heroes...?

The area around me grows darker—it must be night now. I guess my memory's skipping around a little...

"Yeah, I guess you're right. It's you I'm worried about," I say in the memory.

"Hmm?"

"You and I have always trained together... But you've grown stronger than me, by living in a different time frame. You're tough now! I dunno... I guess I feel the need to catch up with you."

The memory fades and I find myself back in the cave.

"All right, now that we're powered up, let's get Arche a new broom," suggests Klarth.

"As long as we get to leave this cave..."

"Honestly. I prefer the desert over this!"

"You do realize we'll probably have to come back with the other four heroes, right?"

Arche and I groan in reply. We turn around and hurry out of the Cave of Burning Sand, more than happy to leave it behind. We head into Olive.

...Knights?! What are knights doing in Olive?!

"Chester, hide! I'll figure out what's going on!" the summoner orders. I hide next to the weapon shop while the other two walk over to the knights.

"What's going on here?" Klarth asks.

"Stay out of the way, civilian!" barks a knight.

"Maybe I didn't make myself clear... My name is Klarth F. Lester."

"I've heard of you... you're a researcher at the castle, aren't you? What's someone like you doing out here?" A researcher at the castle? Really?

"I'm here on research with my student. I need to know that you won't be disrupting my research, so if you'd tell me why the knights are here..."

"We're just arresting someone."

"Who?"

"Look, even if the king gives you special recognition, that doesn't mean we're going to bow down to your feet and tell you every single thing!" the knight says crossly.

Wow, Klarth's on the good side of the king? I wonder what the king would say if he knew that Klarth's against him...

"This is important research. I need to know if you'll be hurting it in any way."

"We're here on the orders of the king, and that's all you need to know!"

Huh? It looks like Arche's preparing a spell... Oh no! Is she planning on attacking the knights?! That idiot! I prepare my bow in case of a fight.

A group of knights exit the hospital with... Ah! Meryl Adnade! They came to arrest her?!

"Meryl!" Klarth exclaims. "Why are you arresting her?! She's a healer!"

"She is slated for execution. Please step out of the way."

No! They can't kill Meryl! She can help us!

"Fire Storm!" Arche yells. All of the knights are engulfed in large blazes of fire, which circles around Meryl, not touching her... Where did Arche get so much power?! Her other skills didn't look nearly this powerful! The knights fall, unconscious. I run out of my hiding place, bow in hand.

"Hm, I thought were going to be reckless... but I have to admit, that was pretty well-planned. ...But when did you learn that spell?" Klarth asks the young witch.

"Just a few minutes ago."

"What?!"

"I learned it in the Cave of Burning Sand... I just sorta... saw myself using it. Heh heh, I wasn't expecting it to actually work!"

Klarth and I exchange gapes. "She's... not..." She _can't_ be a hero! She acts nothing like a hero... and she's annoying!

"She must be."

"What are you two talking about?"

"Arche, do you realize what this means?" Klarth questions.

"Nope. What?"

"If you got power from the Cave of Burning Sand, then you're probably a Hero of Space-Time."

"Eehhhhh?!"

"Um..." When did Meryl walk over? "You will be in trouble with the law for saving me..."

"As Chester said before, there's nothing to worry about. We're already going against the king," Klarth explains. Meryl stares down at the sand. "...Look, we're not going to force information out of you... but we weren't about to watch you be taken off to be killed, either. You still have people here to heal, right?"

"Yes... thank you." She reaches up to her left ear and takes one of her earrings off. She hands it to Klarth. "Please take this to my daughter... she's one of you, a Hero of Space-Time."

"What's her name?"

"I'm afraid I cannot tell you that..."

"Then where can we find her?"

"I can't tell you that, either... All I can say is that she is a healer, like me," answers Meryl. "And please don't tell her about me."

"But why?" Arche asks. That's a good question... why is she being so secretive about her daughter?

"It'll only trouble her. Thank you all again for your help... I'll finish healing the people here and then head off to the next town."

"We'll probably see you again sometime," Klarth says. "And hopefully you're daughter will be traveling with us by then."

"Yes, I hope so. Take care, Heroes of Space-Time."

"You take care as well."

"Bye-bye!"

"See you later."

Meryl waves and walks back into the hospital.

"...So we need to find her daughter..." Klarth mutters as he thinks.

"Well, at least we know her last name," I point out.

"Yeah! Maybe we can look in a database somewhere!"

"...Mint has access to the royal database, right? Everyone's recorded in there at birth," the summoner points out. "Arche, will you call her and ask her to look it up for us?"

"Sure thing!" Arche pulls out her cell phone and dials a number.

"Chester, we should decide where to go next. We have two options from here... I suggest we cross the sea, back to the mainland."

"Not another boat ride..."

"It's either that or a long walk through the desert."

"...I'll take the boat." I don't like either of those options, but I'm tired of this heat.

"That's what I thought you'd say. Gnome, Volt, and Undine are far away from us... Luna was the option where we walk across the desert, so that one's out for now... Unfortunately, no one knows where to find Shadow, Aska, and Origin... but rumor is one of them is in Heimdall, the village of the elves. How about we head there?"

"As long as it's not a desert."

Klarth laughs; heh, I didn't think it was that funny, but I'm still glad he liked it. I wonder how Arche's conversation is going...

"Yep! That's it! Thanks!" the girl says happily. "Call me back when you find it! Bye, Mint!" She hangs up and turns to us. "Mint's going to look up the name. She'll let us know when she finds something!"

"Thank you, Arche. Now let's check the weapon shop for a broom."

We enter the weapon shop, which is above the oasis. Inside Arche starts browsing around, looking for a broom... She doesn't find one. There are no brooms here...

"This isn't fair!" complains the witch.

"Why not stop at the convenience store for something like that?" I suggest dully.

"Those brooms won't do! They're too modern—plastic doesn't work well with magic."

"The elves use magic... maybe they'll have something," suggests Klarth.

"The elves?!"

"Oh, right, that's where we're going next."

"O-oh... I see..." Huh? Is there something wrong with that? She's half elf, isn't she? The village of the elves should be like a second home to her, right?

"Ah, that's right... you're a half elf. The elves won't let you in, right?"

What? She can't enter the elf village...? But why...?

"We'll buy you a broom, then."

"If you can find one..." mutters Arche. "That broom I had was made by my mom..."

Her mom made it? Oh... no wonder she was so upset... It was one of a kind, too, if that's the case... Will we find one she can use in Heimdall?

We head to the port and go on yet another boat ride... I'm seriously getting tired of these. We need a better method of travel! Luckily it's another short one... As soon as we reach the port, we begin following the beach to our left. Another thing I don't like: the beach. Luckily we don't follow it for long... we keep going straight across the continent while the beach veers to the left. We reach another set of mountains with a forest base... Now _this_ I like. Shade, no ocean...

...And monsters. Okay, so it's not perfect. In the forest, we first find three large blue toads with yellow dots—bleebs is what our teacher calls them. They're weak to fire, so we easily take them out with our new skills.

"Geez, Klarth-sensei!" Arche says after the battle. "Why do your spells take so long?!"

"Summoning creatures such as Efreet takes time. Besides, your spells take time, too!"

"Not nearly as long as yours, slowpoke!"

"Also... did you just call me Klarth-sensei?"

"Well, if we're both heroes, I might as well refer to you by your name, right?" the witch points out. "But you're still trying to teach us. Therefore, 'sensei.'"

"...You're the weirdest girl I've _ever_ met," I tell her.

"What?!"

"Heh."

The mountain range is pretty short on this side, so we walk through more forest. I really hope Klarth knows where he's going...

"Here we are!"

It's still forest all around, though in front of us it's more like a swamp. The ground is covered in water, and the trees are rooted somewhere under the deep liquid. The only ground to walk on is a maze of wooden bridges, and the whole area is too foggy to see far ahead. As we begin walking on the bridge, an elven guard stops us.

"No half elves are allowed beyond this point," the guard says firmly.

"This could be a problem if Arche's power is ahead..." Klarth whispers to me.

"We'll have to get her a broom so she can fly in."

"Agreed. Still... we can't just leave her here..."

"I'll be fine!" Arche assures us. "You guys go on ahead. I'll wait here!"

"But..."

Arche reaches into her pockets and hands Klarth a pouch. "Use that to get me a broom!"

Klarth nods. "We'll try to hurry. Come on, Chester."

As we start walking on the wooden bridges, I can't help but look back... Arche looks bored... poor girl, it must be hard for her to be discriminated against like this... This isn't right. They shouldn't kick her out just because she's a half elf... it's not right at all!

"Chester!"

I snap back to where we're going to find a large tree with eyes... walking?—yes, walking—towards us.

"Shoot the Branch!" the summoner orders as he starts up a spell.

I pull my bow over my head to get it off my back and pull out an arrow. I aim and pull back as the small tree advances. As I pull back, I build a fiery energy up in the bow... "Hell Pyre!" The arrow bursts to flames and I release; it hits and burns the leaves of the monster.

"Come, Efreet!" The summon finishes the job, completely burning up the tree. It falls in the water, where it floats.

We head on, following the wooden path. There are many elven guards along the way to tell us where to go, so we find the village without too much trouble. The village is on solid ground; it's a bright forest clearing with many wooden houses. Everything here seems to be old fashioned... The elves seem to rely fully on nature. Most of the elves have long hair, whether boy or girl, though every now and then we see a boy with short hair. There are a few humans around... wait, so they don't mind this many humans but they won't let half elves enter?! That's not right!

"Chester, I'm going to talk to the leader of the elves. You see if you can find Arche a broom," Klarth says as he tosses her pouch at me. I catch it and nod, turning to the weapons shop first. There probably won't be a broom here... but it doesn't hurt to check. Wow, the elves have a lot of bows! Maybe I can find a better one for me here...

"You're a fighter, aren't you?" the owner of the store asks. "These weapons are strictly for hunting, not for your human wars."

Figures. That's just stupid... I leave the store and head on to the convenience store. Let's see... There are lots of brooms here... but how am I supposed to know how these brooms handle magic? I don't know which one would be best for Arche...

"There you are."

I spin around to find Klarth standing behind me. "How'd it go?"

"Well, we're allowed to go, but they're not going to help us at all. We're on our own."

"Should've known..." I turn my attention back to the brooms and ponder. Which one would be best...?

"Excuse me," Klarth says to the shopkeeper. "How well do these broom work with magic?"

"If you think petty human skills will sweep for you, you have something to learn," the elf answers.

"At least we've learned some magic! And this isn't even for us! This is for an elf!"

The shopkeeper looks at us like we're crazy. "No elf would use magic for something so simple as sweeping. I will not allow _my_ brooms to be made for something like that."

These elves are really stuck-up... it's hard to deal with. "Let's go, Klarth." I'd rather make a broom myself than put up with this.

"But what about a broom?"

"I'll make one if I have to! It's better from buying from a place like this!" I yell.

"All right. We'll probably find good branches in Treantwood... that's the forest we're going to next."

We leave the elf village to the north—we had come in from the south. This area is a forest much like the elf village—all solid ground. It's a large forest, and easy to get lost in... I really hope Klarth knows where he's going... Klarth pauses and glances around, thinking. "Well, which way do you think we should go?"

"I thought you knew!"

"I thought I did, too..." the teacher says, "...but I think we took a wrong turn."

"...So we're lost."

"Yep."

"Nice navigating job," I say sarcastically.

"I know! Maybe Sylph can scout for us! If you'll wait a minute, I'll summon them!" Klarth sets his bag down and begins concentrating. I look around... I haven't seen a stick yet to make a broom with, but maybe there's one here... Ah! There is! It's a little crooked, and there are a lot of small twigs and leaves all over it... but with some work, I can make it nice... At least she'll have something until her mom can make another one, right? And she needs to get here quickly so she can get her power... "Hey, Klarth, do you have a knife?"

"Check the bag," the summoner says. There's a large green magic circle around him... I'm not sure I want to go in it, but the bag's in there, so I guess I'll have to. I hurry into the area and crouch to get to the bag... it sure is windy where he's casting! No wonder his clothes and hair move around so much when he summons... I reach into the bag and rummage around... ah, here it is! I pull out a pocket knife and walk out of the range of the magic, where there's no wind. I sit down against a tree with the stick and the knife and begin carving. I need to get the outside smooth first... It's a little tough to get going, but after that the carving becomes easy... I wonder if I've done this before... The bigger twigs take a while to get off, but I continue hacking at them. Klarth sits down by the tree next to me, leaning against it with his hands behind his head. "Now we just wait for Sylph to get back."

We sit in silence, waiting. I continue carving the stick, trying to make it smooth... this is going to be tough work to get the whole thing smooth and straight! Is it really worth this? ...I can't forget how she looked when she saw her broom fall in the lava... and her hurt smile when she said she'd be all right waiting outside of Heimdall... Plus I owe her, don't I? Maybe this will pay off my debt...

"Klarth! Klarth!" someone calls out. I look up to see two identical girls flying down towards us... they're just floating on the air... They have long, aqua hair and plain white dresses. "Guess who we found!"

"Did you find the spirit here?"

"Not yet," one of the girls replies.

"We found a student of yours!" the other says happily.

"You mean Arche? She's in Ymir Forest, though."

"Not her!"

"That one!"

They both point behind us and we spin around to see a young girl walking towards us: Suzu Fujibayashi. "Suzu!" Klarth and I exclaim.

"Lester-sensei! Chester! What are you two doing here?"

"We're traveling. What about you?"

"I live here."

"Here? In the forest?" This is a dangerous place... plus, didn't Sheena say she lived in Japoni? I wonder if that's around here...

"Yes. My village is near here," the ninja answers. "Do you want to come rest in Japoni?"

"Do you have maps of the area?" Klarth asks.

"Instead of asking what we have, I think it'd be more accurate to ask what we _don't_ have. The only things Japoni doesn't know are the secrets of the crown."

"Well, I guess that means we're not lost anymore, right?" Klarth tells me.

"Yeah..."

"Oh, Suzu... Arche's waiting by the entrance of Ymir Forest. Can we pick her up on the way to Japoni?"

"Of course. We'll get her now."

"Thanks. Sylph," the summoner addresses the twins, "thank you for scouting. You can return now." He holds out his hand and a ring on his fingers glows; the two girls vanish into a wave of air that enters the ring. So those two girls together make up Sylph...? He then grabs his pack and turns to Suzu. "We're ready."

"Shadow Storm!" A whirlwind of leaves surrounds us, blocking out the forest. When the leaves clear, we're back where we left Arche.

"Suzu-chan!" Arche exclaims.

"Suzu's going to take us to Japoni. Though you might want to come," Klarth explains. Arche's eyes fall on me... me and my long stick. Oh yeah, I forgot to hide that.

"Chester, what's that stick for?"

"Nothing!"

"And where's my broom?!"

"The elves didn't have a broom you could use," Klarth attempts to explain.

"What?! They don't have any, either?!"

"Only weirdoes like you use brooms as a weapon..." I mutter.

"At least I don't need a stick to walk!" she snaps back. What?! I don't... If I try to combat her on that, she'll figure out what this stick's really for! ...I really hate this girl!

Leaves begin swirling around us and engulf our surroundings.

**Arche gained the title of Show-Off. I'll show you how good I am, multiplied by ten!**

**Chester gained the title of Lazy Student. You can't remember anything from school, can you?**

**Arche gained the title of Witch of Space-Time. It is a title reserved for the Hero of Space-Time gifted with powerful magic.**

**Klarth has received the disgraceful title of Terrible Navigator. It is a title reserved for those who easily get themselves and others lost.**

**Chester learned Hell Pyre.**

**Klarth can now summon Efreet.**

**Arche learned Fire Storm.**


	10. Prankster

**WARNING: I know it's a little late in the story for me to be saying this now... There _will_ be spoilers to Tales of Phantasia (sorry, should've said that sooner!). Also, I have decided that there will be some spoilers to Tales of Symphonia as well. Sorry! And sorry for not mentioning it sooner...**

**Thank you Godgiven-chan and Starry-chan for helping me think up pranks!**

**Disclaimer: Don't own Tales of Phantasia or Tales of Symphonia. Namco owns them.**

**--Prankster****--**

When they clear, we're in another village in the forest... Is this Japoni? It's a nice, serene village with a quiet stream running through it. The buildings look old and have straw roofs, but that only adds to the peaceful feel. There's a field of crops on the west side of the village, and many people are outside making the most of the small village. There is one bridge for the stream that connects the east and west parts of the village; Suzu leads us across it. After crossing the bridge, we take a left and enter the largest building in the town.

The floor and walls inside are wooden, and the entrance consists of a long hallway. We follow Suzu down it.

"Chester!" My foot slips and I feel someone tug my arm and pull me back. I fall to the ground so I'm sitting and then look around, trying to figure out what just happened. There's no floor where my foot was... a trap?! There's spikes at the bottom of it...

"You okay?" Klarth asks; he was the one who grabbed me...

"What was that about, Suzu-chan?!" demands Arche.

"Oh... I forgot to disable the traps. Stay here for a minute!" The young ninja dashes ahead of us and we do as we're told. Soon enough, a board swings up, creating what looks to be a solid floor. Suzu hurries back. "All right, all the traps are off." She continues leading us down the hallway, this time without any traps going off. We take the first right and head through a pair of sliding doors. This room is pretty bare... there's a stove in the center with a large pillow on either side of it. Other than that, nothing. We head through more sliding doors on the other side of the room.

The new room has a large table in the center with one large pillow per side. An old man with light blue hair sits on the far pad. To the left of the table is a small cabinet with a candle on it. Behind and to the left of the man are more doors, while to the right of that are decorations... a small shrine, maybe? There's a vase over there, along with a wall scroll...

"These people need a map of Treantwood."

"Who are these people...?" the man asks.

"We're—"

"Heroes of Space-Time," a familiar voice says from behind us. We spin around to find another ninja standing there: Sheena! "There you are, Chester! We've been looking for you... Where'd you go?"

"Uh..." I guess I can't really get myself out of this one... "I needed to talk to Klarth... alone."

"You could've at least told us where you were going instead of disappearing on us!" the ninja yells.

"I had a lot on my mind."

"How are your memories coming?"

"Same as before."

The door behind Sheena opens and Zelos walks in. "Sheeeeeenaaaa! You didn't have to hit me!"

"Oh shut up! I didn't even hurt you!"

Noticing me, Zelos says, "Yo, Chester-kun! Where have you been?"

"Around."

Arche leans over to me. "Are these the rebels?" she whispers.

"Yeah," I murmur back.

"Ooh! It's that beautiful hunny from the picture!" Zelos says as he walks over. "Hello my darling gorgeous flower! I am the great and mighty Zelos Wilder, at your service."

"There's nothing great _or_ mighty about you..." I mutter, annoyed. Why do I feel so angry at him? I feel like I want to punch him right now...

Arche giggles. "I'm Arche Klaine! I never knew there were such charming rebels!"

That idiot!

"Well, my hunny! Why don't you travel with us? It'll be a lot better than traveling with an old guy and—"

"—a jerk!" Arche inputs, and they both laugh. Zelos... this is the last straw...!

"Idiot!" Sheena yells at Zelos. "Don't insult our teammates like that!"

Teammates... oh right, they don't know what I learned...! As far as they know, we're still working together... And they were working with Klarth before, right...? Wait, but the king also thinks that Klarth is working for him... does that make him a triple agent? Wow, talk about a tough job to hold! I'm glad I can trust the fact that he's a Hero of Space-Time...

"So, my lovely little flower, how 'bout we go explore town? I can introduce you to some great places here!"

"You mean like a date?"

"Exactly. You catch on quick!"

"I'd love to!" the witch agrees. Zelos holds his arm out, which Arche gladly takes. He whispers something in her ear, which make both of them laugh as they exit the room.

Zelos... I want to kill him about now!

"Onee-san," Suzu suddenly speaks up. "Is something wrong...?" Huh? Oh... Sheena looks like she's about to cry...

"O-of course not! I-I'm going to go take a walk!" She, too, runs out of the room.

"You might want to take a walk as well, Chester," Klarth suggests.

"Huh? Why?"

"You look like you're about to explode! I think you need to cool down a little..."

I do? Ah, I didn't even realize how tightly I was gripping the stick! I relax my hands as I turn to go out the door as well. "I think I'll take you up on that offer. Let me know when you're ready to go."

"Sure thing. Have a nice walk."

I leave the house and start walking around the village. There are Zelos and Arche... they're enjoying themselves quite nicely. ...I don't want to see them any more. I spin around and exit the village to the east. Back in Treantwood... as long as I keep track of where I'm going, I won't get lost. I walk straight. I find a dead end... and Sheena.

"Hey," I say to her.

"Hey."

She sits there in silence while I stand. Letting out a sigh, I plop down and pull out the pocket knife to continue working on the stick. "Mind if I work here?"

"Go ahead."

I chip away at the wood, this time with more force than before... That stupid Zelos... I hate him! And Arche... how can she be such an idiot?! He pulls that same junk on every girl he meets! And she fell for it! Now they're going on a date and...

"You might want to watch what you're doing before you mess up," Sheena suggests. My attention snaps back to the stick... Oh no! I'm only making the curve worse... I don't know if there's a way to fix it now!

"...What's that for, anyway?"

I set it down. "It's nothing."

"You sure are working hard on nothing, then."

Neither of us say something for a moment. I wonder if the other rebels are here... "What are you and Zelos doing here?"

"We came to ask the chief to help us look for you and the other heroes, actually. Heh, funny that we should run into you while here..."

"Are the others here?"

"Some of them are," answers the ninja. "Well, they're in Heimdall, anyway. About half of us came... I got stuck with Zelos for coming to Japoni."

Sheena looks pretty sad... "Are you upset?"

"W-what would I be upset about?"

"Arche and Zelos." I never thought of it before... but Sheena always seems to be watching Zelos... if he hits on any girls we don't know, she's usually the first to hit him and yell at him.

"Of course not! I hate Zelos!" Sheena says. Oh, I guess I was wrong. I wonder what she's upset about, then... Could she have realized that we're kinda against the rebels? "...What about you?"

"What do you mean?"

"Are _you_ upset?"

"About what?"

"Arche and Zelos."

"No! I hate both of them! They can have their fun—what do I care?"

Another pause as I stare down at the stick. Okay, maybe I do care a little... but just a little!

"Heh, I see..." Sheena says before fading in to more silence. I pick up the stick and resume my work. "...Well, what are we going to do about it?"

"Do about what?" What's she talking about?

"Arche and Zelos."

"Why would we do anything about it?" I ask as I stare her straight in the eyes.

"You're right," she says as she stares at the ground again. I continue carving the stick. ...It _would_ be nice to watch Zelos get what he deserves...

"...You know this village best. Have any plans?" I ask.

"Plans? For what?"

"Arche and Zelos."

After another small pause, Sheena stands up. "All right, we're getting nowhere like this. How about we give both of them what's coming?"

I stand as well. "Agreed."

"Now what are we going to do to them..."

"We could pull a prank on them."

"Heh, I like the way you think."

"So what are we going to do, then?"

"Isn't it obvious? We're going to make their date a complete and utter disaster! You with me?"

"You bet!"

"Then let's see what they're up to!" We happily walk out of the forest and back into the village. "It's around dinner time, so let's check the restaurant first," suggests the ninja. The restaurant is in a building south of the chief's house, which Sheena calls the Marron. It's a 'seat yourself' restaurant, so we walk in and take a look around. There are many low tables with pillows surrounding them, and a few tables are occupied by residents of the village. One table is occupied by Arche and Zelos, who look to be having a great time. Sheena and I take a seat at a table close to the entrance, far away from the pair. The waitress walks over to us almost as soon as we sit, dressed in a ninja outfit. "What would you like to drink?"

"Just water."

"I'll take some green tea," Sheena says. "Also, could you go ahead and bring out some wasabi?" The waitress nods and vanishes with a swirl of leaves.

"Wasabi? What's that?"

"You'll see when it gets here."

I glance over at Arche and Zelos, who are laughing about something... they're sitting really close, too. ...That stupid Zelos! He's even holding her hand! "So what are we going to do to them here?"

"You'll see."

Well, at least she has a plan... The waitress comes out of the kitchen with food for Arche and Zelos, which makes Arche even happier. She looks like she's having a good time... I don't think I've ever seen her smile so enthusiastically... except in that memory...

The waitress comes over to us with our drinks, bread, and a small saucer, which she sets on the table. Inside the saucer is a green paste of some sort... The waitress also sets a pair of sticks down for each of us.

"What's this?"

"Wasabi."

"And the sticks?"

"Chopsticks. They're what we used to eat with."

"What?! But... how?!"

Sheena laughs. "It's really easy, actually." She grabs her two sticks and puts one of them in her right hand and holds it in the fold between her thumb and forefinger. "You hold on like this..."—I imitate how she holds it—"...and the other like this." She puts the other one on top, sorta like how I hold a pencil. It feels odd... how do people eat like this? "You move the top one to eat," explains the ninja as she shows me. I grip the chopsticks tightly, trying desperately to keep them in my grasp. Sheena laughs again. "Don't worry too much about it unless you plan on eating. We might not have time to do that if we want to stalk _them_, though."

"I just want to know how you eat with these things..."

"I'll give you a pair if you want. That way you can practice." I nod, though I'm still concentrating on getting the chopsticks to move right... I don't think I'm even holding them correctly... Sheena pulls the top one out of my grasp and dips it lightly in the wasabi before handing it back. "Try this."

"Is there enough on there to try?" There's barely any on the stick...

"There's _more_ than enough. Trust me."

I take the chopstick and put it in my mouth. ...! Ugh! That's spicy! Water—where's my water? There it is—that helps some... not much...

"My plan is to put this on their food," Sheena explains.

"But they already got their food."

"That doesn't mean we won't be able to add some. With how distracted they are, it should be easy!"

"Maybe for a ninja..."

"I never said I was going." I just noticed a magic circle around her... "Let's go, Corrine!" Smoke flashes in the air and a small cat-like creature comes out of it. Its face looks more like that of a bear, and it has mostly tan fur. It has two aqua tails that are long and curl under at the ends. Around its neck is a red ribbon with a pair of bells. "Sheena, are you sure you want to do this?" the creature asks.

"Positive. Will you put this on their food? I'll provide a distraction if you need it."

"They're already distracted enough, so it shouldn't be hard." Sheena puts the saucer on the creature's back. "I'll be back!" The creature gracefully hops to the floor and begins running towards the table Arche and Zelos are sitting at.

"We shouldn't watch," Sheena says, "else they might figure out that we're the cause."

"Good point..." I say as I turn my attention away. "I've never met that creature before... what'd you say its name was?"

"Oh, that's Corrine. He's my best friend," Sheena explains happily.

"Ah, I see... your best friend..." She can really trust her best friend... I wish I could say the same for the person who used to be my best friend...

"Oh that's right! About Cless..." Sheena pauses, trying to figure out what to say. "He's—"

"Yeowch!" Zelos suddenly yelps, causing the whole restaurant to look over.

"W-what happened?! Are you okay?!" Arche asks.

Corrine runs back over and jumps in Sheena's arms. "Great job, Corrine."

Meanwhile, Zelos gulps down all of his water. "That's some spicy food! I'll be right back... you just wait right here, my cute little flower!" Zelos hurries off towards the bathroom while I try to contain my laughter.

"I had to dump it all on one or the other, so only Zelos' food is spicy. Is that all right?"

"That's perfectly fine. He's the one who hit on Arche in the first place."

"Should we take this chance to run?" I ask.

"Yeah, let's go."

Arche continues eating her food. I wonder what she's thinking... We stand up and hurry out of the restaurant. Outside, we wait behind some bushes for the pair to come out as well. Sheena decides to wander off to set up a trap, leaving me to watch the door. She returns only just before Arche and Zelos exit. "I have a trap set up that we need to wait for... any other ideas while waiting?"

"...Yeah, I have an idea." I take out my phone. "What's Zelos' number?" Sheena takes out her phone as well and searches for her address book. She begins reading off the numbers as I begin typing them in. Once ready, I put the phone to my ear and wait for Zelos to pick up. We watch him answer it. "Hello?"

"Is this Zelos Wilder?" I ask, disguising my voice to sound different.

"Yeah, who's this?"

"Where are you?"

"Japoni... Why?"

"I'm gonna kill you for messin' with my wife!" I hang up the phone while Sheena tries not to laugh. We watch Zelos panic and Arche try and figure out what's wrong. Sheena pulls out a paper and a magic circle appears around her. "I summon thee!" she says as softly as she can, and a large, ghoul-like creature comes out. She points towards Zelos and the creature floats over to him.

Arche notices the creature first. "W-what's that?!" Zelos spins around. "Whoa!" The creature raises up its ghastly hands.

"Say something!" Sheena hisses to me. "Sound like you did on the phone!"

I take a deep breath and bellow in the fake voice, "How dare you mess around with more innocent girls, you thieving scoundrel! I died because of you!"

Zelos looks nervous. He and Arche both take a few steps back, unsure of what to do.

"S-should I use magic on it...?"

"Aww, how thoughtful of you! No need for you to get involved, my sweet little flower! The mighty Zelos Wilder will handle this one!" Zelos pulls out his sword. He stabs at the ghoul, but it swiftly teleports behind him. It puts its hand on his shoulder and I say, "I won't let you get away with this! I'll be back for you both!" The thing then disappears.

"Zelos, what was that...?"

"I-it was nothing for you to worry about! Come on, let's go!" Zelos takes her hand and starts walking, but she still looks worried. We follow them, staying hidden in the bushes. Along the paths, I see some signs that say "Romantic Getaway" with an arrow. The pair follows the signs, liking the look of this. As they walk in the direction the sign pointed, they step in a hole and fall. Sheena and I high-five and hurry out of our hiding place, laughing.

"Should we do anything else to them?" I ask.

"I think Arche's _quite_ annoyed with this date!" We find some benches by the stream, where we sit and laugh. Zelos and an annoyed-looking Arche march over to the benches as well, where they notice us. ...Uh-oh.

"Well well well, what are you two doing here?" Zelos asks, not sounding very thrilled.

"We decided to take a walk," Sheena explains kind of curtly.

"Are you two... on a date as well?" Arche looks surprised.

Eehhhh?! Me and Sheena?! Is she crazy?!

Sheena giggles. "I guess you could say that. Chester's a _lot_ smarter and more charming than Zelos. Not to mention more handsome!"

"Hey, _no one's_ more handsome than me!" Zelos argues. "Right, my lovely little flower?"

"Of course! And _definitely_ not Chester! He doesn't compare to you at all!"

Why that little... Okay, my turn. I'm not about to let it sit like this! "Zelos _obviously_ doesn't have good taste in women. If he did, he wouldn't be going out with a _child_!"

"I'm not a child! I'm seventeen!" Arche yells.

"You're definitely not a woman!"

"What do you know, anyway?!"

"She has a point. If anyone here knows about women, it's me!" Zelos says.

"All you know how to do is make women hate you," quips the ninja. "Arche, be logical. He hits on _every_ woman he sees."

"Not to mention how much of an idiot he is..." I add.

"Oh I get it!" Arche says. "You're just jealous 'cause Zelos is better with women than you are!"

"What?! Of course not!"

"And you," Zelos says to Sheena, "must be jealous 'cause I'm going on a date with another hunny!"

"Idiot!" Sheena jumps to her feet and whacks Zelos on the head. I stand up as well. "Have you ever thought that maybe not every girl likes you?!"

"Now now, you know you love me my voluptuous banshee! Ahahahaha!"

"I hate you! Get that through your thick skull!"

I want to hit him... just once... I grab the stick I've been carrying around and hold it like a staff. I pull it around, hitting Zelos in the back of the head as hard as I can. Everyone stares at me, surprised.

"Chester-kun! What was that for?!" whines Zelos.

"Don't you ever... Don't you _ever_ pull Arche and Sheena into your twisted games again!" I yell. "Arche, go tell Klarth we're ready to go."

"But—"

"We don't have time to mess around!"

"You're no fun, Chester! I hate you!" Arche yells as she runs across the bridge, towards the south entrance. Heh, she hates me... the feeling's mutual... so then why does my chest hurt...?

"Chester, let's go," Sheena suddenly says. Oh, right, I almost forgot. I turn around and start walking away; I can only hope that Sheena and Corrine are following. Outside, Sheena says, "That was a nice hit... too bad it was wasted."

"What do you mean?"

"It's nothing. So, where are you three headed off to?"

"We're gathering our power."

"You could've stayed with us for that. Why'd you leave? And since you're here, why don't we join back up?" Sheena asks.

I don't know what questions to ask yet... "...Sorry, but I don't want to wander around with either Zelos _or_ Cless."

"Oh yeah! As I was saying about Cless... He's not a bad person. You'll see him soon, so you should take the chance to talk to him... he really wants to help you get your memory back. He's struggling with a lot right now, so... please just listen to him."

I'll see him soon? I don't know what I'll do when I see him... I'll have to think about that one. I walk away from Sheena without a word. I cross the bridge in town and head to the south exit, where I notice Klarth, Arche, and Suzu waiting. Arche immediately turns away from me, anger on her face.

"Suzu's coming?"

"Yeah, she's our guide," explains Klarth. "So, you ready?"

"Yeah."

"Shadow Storm!" Suzu yells and we're off, appearing in a forest clearing soon after. "The Sacred Spot is only a little farther."

We set off straight ahead, through the only easy exit from this clearing. We continue walking that way, past more trees and bushes until we reach a large pond. The pond stands in the middle of a clearing, so we make our way around and to the left of it, along another small trail. The forest opens up into yet another clearing on the left—how someone keeps track of this maze is beyond me.

"We're here," Suzu suddenly says. I glance around. We are? This clearing looks just like the last few...

A being fades into view, appearing from thin air. It's a teenage boy with short, golden hair and cold golden eyes. He has four arms, each hand holding a weapon; the top two hands are holding long spears while the bottom two are holding swords. Around his body and green clothes is a bright light, an aura... "So, you're back," the being says. "Have you come to unseal the Eternal Sword?"

"The what?"

"The Eternal Sword..." Klarth walks forwards, towards the spirit. "Then that means—you're Origin!"

After a long pause, Origin says, "Ah, I understand now. You've been reborn. ...Still, our pact has not been broken if you wish to take me with you. However... heed this warning..."

**Chester gained the title of Prankster. It is a title given to one who likes pulling pranks on others.**

**Arche gained the title of Flirtatious Woman. I'm not a child, and I'll go out with whoever I want!**


	11. Craftsman

I have a Klarth cloak...thingy... I'm a happy camper! ...Now if only I had my Klarth hat... I'm still waiting on that one. I'll post the next chapter when I get it!

**Edit: Changed the way Wild Rain looks... I had messed up on it's animation.**

**Disclaimer: Same as always. I don't own Tales of Phantasia or Tales of Symphonia, no matter how much I love them. Namco owns them.**

**--Craftsman--**

My head throbs—images... a canyon... another memory? What this time?

"Hey, hey... What, I have to fight alone again?" We're all standing at a boy; his armor is shining brightly in the sun, but it's too blurry to see his face... There are three people past him—two dressed in dark and one in red.

"Grr, you've got to be kidding me..." someone else says, and then a battle starts. I stand back and watch as the boy in armor fights the two dark people. After a while, the two in dark clothes fall and their opponent stands there, breathing hard. He sheathes his shining sword.

"Heh, I won... barely. What are you doing here, anyway?" The boy turns to the person on the ground, expecting an answer. There's no sound besides that of bugs and some birds far off in the distance... "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to... But at least tell me your name."

"...Suzu..."

"Hello, Suzu..." After some consideration, he continues, "Hey, Suzu. Would you like to come along with us?"

"Um, no... Thank you so much for saving me. Um, good-bye." The person in red—Suzu—zips away. Suzu... does this mean that she was in the past as well? Was she a Hero of Space-Time?

"What was that all about?" the person in armor asks as he turns to us.

"We'll never know if she's not willing to tell us." I turn my gaze over to the new speaker—a girl dressed in many colors—Arche?

"Unlike some people, she doesn't talk too much," I quip in the memory.

"Unlike who!" snaps the witch.

"I wonder!"

"There must be some reason," another female mutters nearby.

"Well, I don't get it either, but we'd better find Volt first." I know that voice... and talking about Volt... is that Klarth...?

"Good point."

The canyon fades out and we're standing on top of a cliff. We stop and look down, where there are some red blurs...

"Arche... Can you go get that for me?"

"I knew you were going to say that..." I watch Arche's hazy figure hop on her broom and glide down to the red smudges.

"Arche..." I call down. "Don't pocket anything where we can't see you!"

"Shaddap! You know I wouldn't do that!" She flies back up and hands some items to the boy in armor. "Here you go!" She sounds angry...

"You don't have to get so mad..." The swordsman attempts to persuade her, but she turns to me.

"Hmph! Chester... _I really __really__ hate you!_"

"Heh, who asked you to like me, anyway?!"

"Hey, enough with the fighting already. This is neither the time nor the place," Klarth says. So even then he was a mediator between us...

"Okay, fine..." I say as we fall into silence.

"What's wrong, Arche?"

"Nothing!" the witch snaps as the cliff fades out and my conscious returns to the forest.

"I don't understand! Why?!" Klarth demands. Huh?! What's going on?!

"It's dangerous... please trust Origin on this one, Lester-sensei." T-that voice! Cless?! Yes, it's Cless... He's here with Kratos, Lloyd, and Presea! But he's dressed differently now... He still has his red headband on, but flowing behind him now is a matching cape. He wears shining white armor on his upper body and shoulders. The shirt under his armor is black with short sleeves, but the same black cloth starts up again at his elbows; the black cloth continues into his gloves, covering all except the inside of his elbows. His gloves are a light tan leather with dark brown fingers, and there are two leather buckles holding shining white arm guards to his arms. Continuing from under his body armor is more leather that wraps around his back, leaving his sides open where the black shirt shows through. He has two belts on, but the lower belt connects to more brown leather that goes a tiny ways down his left leg before wrapping around; connected to that leather is his sword. His pants are as black as his shirt. His boots are covered in white armor, and he has white leg guards strapped around his leg with brown leather.

"I see... so you understand the full danger of the situation." Origin glares down at Cless. "Or at least part of it."

"Yes..." Cless notices me staring at him. "Ah, Chester! You're out of your memory! Have you been getting a lot of memories back?"

"What's going on here?! When did you get here—_why_ are you here?! And what danger?!"

"The danger of unsealing the Eternal Sword," Origin's cold voice answers. "You can choose to take me now if you want—as the pact maker, it is fully your choice. However, I suggest that you leave me and the Eternal Sword here, or else many people will die..."

What? What's he talking about... Is this sword really that powerful?

"I don't fully understand..." Klarth speaks up, "...but I trust your judgment. We'll leave the sword here for now and come back when we can protect it better. Is that all right with everyone?—Good. Suzu, may we rest in Japoni for the night?"

"Why not go to Heimdall?" Kratos questions.

"Uh, well..."

"I'd rather not pay those elves," I say stubbornly. "Let's go to Japoni."

"Are you coming?" The young ninja turns her attention to Cless, Kratos, Lloyd, and Presea.

"Let Sheena and Zelos know we'll be waiting in Heimdall," Kratos orders as he turns to walk away.

"Chester... I'm glad to see you're doing well," Lloyd says. "Wish we could talk longer—I'll catch up with you later, okay?"

"See you later!" Cless says. With that, he, Lloyd, and Presea follow Lloyd's father. Suzu warps the rest of us back to the ninja village.

"Hey, Klarth-sensei, what exactly happened with Origin?"

"He said that the world will be in danger if we release the seal he and I placed on the Eternal Sword long ago."

"What _is_ the Eternal Sword?" I ask.

"The Eternal Sword has the power to transcend space and time—it's what the Swordsman of Space-Time used in the final battle against Dhaos," Klarth explains. "No doubt Origin's worried about it ending up in the hands of our enemies... though whether the king or the rebels I don't know. We should probably wait until we find the swordsman of our group... he should be stronger than anyone else with it, and he'll be able to hold on to it. After we find him, we'll return to get Origin and the sword." The summoner turns his head to the sky and puts his hand on his hat. "Well, it's getting late. Shall we head to bed?"

"I'll show you where you can stay," Suzu offers. She leads us to the north part of the village, past the fields of crops. Inside is a very small inn with only two rooms; Klarth and I take one while Arche takes the other. In the room, Klarth sets down his stuff while I sit on the mat and begin working on the stick. The room is pretty bare, and the beds are more of sleeping bags on the floor... Do all of the people in Japoni sleep like this? It must get uncomfortable, sleeping on such a hard floor!

"Oh that's right, I picked up some straw for the broom." The summoner reaches in his back and pulls out a large stack of straw and some tan string. He sets it down next to me as neatly as he can and takes a look at the stick. "That's coming along pretty nicely! You used to make all of your arrows, you know."

"Really?"

"That's probably why woodwork comes so easy for you."

Hm... I guess so. This job hasn't been tedious or anything, but rather... enjoyable. Even if it's hard, I like keeping my hands busy with something like this. And I'm almost done with it... just a little more carving...

Oh yeah! I forgot to tell them about my memory—about Suzu! "Klarth, I think Suzu's a Hero of Space-Time as well."

"What makes you think that?"

"I saw her... in the memory I got with my power in the forest. She didn't join the group then, but she was still there..."

"Is that so..." Silence. Out of the corner of my eyes, I see Klarth move towards the door. "I'll go talk to her about it, then."

"You want me to come?"

"No, you can stay here. Keep working." With that, he exits the room.

I continue working... it seems to be going pretty quickly. Ah, here we go, this should be the last chip before the straw... There! Finally... Now then, what to do about this straw... Klarth didn't do a good job at making it neat... Oh well. I start gathering it up and pulling it together in a bundle. ...How am I supposed to keep it like this while tying the string on? Where _is_ Klarth? He could at least come back and help with this... Well, here goes nothing... I try to hold the bundle with one hand and wrap the string around with the other. I lose some of the straw in the process... maybe I can stuff it back through after I get this string on.

There, one string on... it's not very sturdy yet... but at least there's enough straw on it. Okay, next string...

There! It's finally done! Now I don't owe her anything... I feel _exhausted_... I stand up and set all of my work materials just past the foot of my mat before returning to it and lying down. I pull the covers up... this is surprisingly comfortable...

"I'm sorry, Chester... this is my fault..." a young boy says.

"Don't be stupid, Cless." I cough. "Next time I won't lose! It better still be snowing by the time I'm out of this bed!"

"Haha, that's just like you!"

"Did I at least get you with that last snowball?"

"Yeah, it hit me right in the face. I didn't even see you fall in the water! ...Sorry..." Cless looks down.

"I won't be sick long. Mom said my temperature's coming down!"

"That's great!" Cless says happily. "Oh that's right, Christmas is coming up soon! It'll be your sister's first Christmas, right? Ah... what's her name again?"

"Ami. ...Hey, Cless, do you think we were once that small?" I ask with a cough.

"I don't know... I guess I never really thought of it. ...Hey Chester, do you think we'll ever be as big as Dad?"

"Ha, I'm going to be taller!"

"That's not fair, you're older than me!"

"...What do grown-ups do for fun?" I question. "I've never seen them have snowball fights or play video games!"

"I dunno. Dad often practices with his sword... I wanna learn to fight with a sword as soon as I'm old enough!"

"Then I'm going to learn to fight, too!" I say. "We'll train together!"

"Are you going to use a sword, too?"

"Naw, that's too boring..."

"So what are you going to fight with?"

"Well, I saw a neat-looking weapon on this anime once... I think they called it a bow and arrow..." I mutter, thinking.

"Do you think Dad knows how to use those?" Cless thinks about this, his young face staring out the window towards his house.

"Dunno. It looks fun, though!"

"...Hey, Chester! One day we'll go on an adventure, just like those heroes in the cartoons!" Cless declares.

"Yeah, that sounds like fun!" I then begin coughing a lot.

"Oh no! You're temperature's not going up, is it?!"

"Ugh... I don't feel so well... maybe you should go before you get sick as well..."

"O-okay! I'll let your mom know to come see you!" Cless says. "Get well soon, Chester!"

"Okay! Bye!" I hear his footsteps get softer and softer, and then someone else get closer.

"Chester?" my mom asks as she opens the door. It gets brighter for some reason...

"He's not here!" a male voice suddenly yells, though I don't see anyone besides Mom... "Let the chief know! Wake up! This is an emergency!"

I jump up to find myself in Japoni, seventeen years old again... I must've had a dream about the past... There are three male ninjas in here—two of them are discussing something while a third one watches me. "What's going on?" I ask.

"Have you seen Klarth F. Lester?" the ninja asks as the other two turn to watch me as well.

Klarth?! What's going on?! He's not in his bed...! "N-no! Not since he left to talk with Suzu! What happened?" I jump to my feet, grabbing my bow and quiver on the way up. Arche rushes into the room, worry on her face.

"Chester! Did you hear?! Suzu-chan—Suzu-chan's hurt! And Klarth-sensei's gone missing!"

"_What_?!"

"Follow us." The three ninjas lead us out of the inn—outside, the sun is just coming up over the misty village. We practically run to the chief's house, where the ninja's lead us straight to Suzu.

Suzu lays on a mat, unconscious. Her clothes are badly torn and she has scars all over her face. One villager is busy treating to her wounds while Arche and I stare in horror. "What... what happened...?"

"We don't know," explains one of the ninjas that lead us here. "She suddenly appeared in front of the chief's house like this... She said 'Lester-sensei...' and then collapsed. We went to see if he was in your room right after that..."

Sheena bursts into the room. "Suzu! What happened to her?!" She runs over to her sister's bed and sits down.

Arche turns to me. "What should we do...?"

What happened...? Is Klarth in danger...? But they should've been in the village, and the ninjas would surely know if there was someone attacking here! "We have to search for Klarth! He could be in danger!"

"Right! I don't have a weapon, though..."

Oh that's right! Her broom! "Follow me!" I dash back to the inn, not looking back to see if Arche's following. I run into the room and snatch up the broom before turning to run out. I meet Arche at the entrance and hand her the broom. "I know it's not as good as your last one... but hopefully it'll do 'til your mom can make you another," I mumble.

Arche pauses as she takes it, staring first at the broom then at me.

"W-we don't have time to stand here!" I try to push her on.

"Yeah! Thanks, Chester!" She puts the broom on her and sits down; the broom floats up and she smiles down at me, happy. "Let's go!"

We head to the south entrance, where a ninja's waiting. "You're not allowed to know the path to and from here... I'll transfer you past where there are already people searching if you want to join in." We nod and he uses the same skill Suzu uses to warp us to a forest clearing. We head south through the only easy exit, where we find a pair of moving trees blocking our path.

"We don't have time for this!" I notch an arrows on my bow and aim upwards. "Wild Rain!" I release and seconds later, the arrow splits into multiple arrows of the same size, which rain down on the pair of trees.

"Fire Storm!" The powerful fire swoops them up, destroying them. We continue on.

We reach a large clearing with a pond—is this the same one as before? We go around it, taking the furthest exit from us. We follow this path towards another new clearing—not where Origin was. We walk around the large trees in the center of this clearing, following another path to—Klarth! There he is! We run over to him.

He's laying on the ground, unconscious, his hat about to fall off. He doesn't appear to be hurt... I crouch down next to him and start shaking him. "Klarth! Klarth, wake up!"

The man slowly stirs. He blinks and sits up, trying to take in his surroundings. "Chester, Arche... Where are we?"

"What do you mean?! What are you doing out here?!"

"You gave us a scare, disappearing like that!" Arche floats over beside Klarth. "What's this?"

Klarth and I follow Arche's gaze down to an object lying on the ground next to Klarth. It's a sword... it has a white hilt with blue string that ends in gold—the gold splits off into four points. Its sheath is also gold, with an ornate design down the center. "Beats me," says the summoner. "Did a monster drop it?"

"I didn't see any monsters around here..." I look around—maybe there are some hiding in the trees, or maybe some _are_ the trees...

"Do you remember any monster attacking you?"

Klarth pauses, a troubled look on his face. "That's the problem... last thing I remember, I was in Japoni on my way to find Suzu."

"Ehhhh?!"

"Then how did you get out here?!"

"...I don't know."

"You didn't lose your memory, too, did you?" Arche asks.

"My memory's perfectly fine, thanks," mutters the annoyed summoner.

"Are you sure? What's my name?"

"Arche, this isn't the time for that. My—"

"Wrong! I'm Mint!"

"Idiot..." I mutter, which causes me to receive a glare from the half elf.

Klarth sighs as he stands up and fixes his hat. "This isn't the time for games. It looks like a lot of time has passed... We need to figure out how I got here and what this sword's doing here." He picks up the sword and starts examining it.

"And figure out what happened to Suzu..." I add.

"Suzu? What happened to Suzu?"

We tell him what we know about her injuries and why we came looking for him. Klarth listens, astonishment covering his face. "Let's go make sure she's okay!" With that verdict, we turn and head back to where the ninja dropped us off—he's still there, waiting.

"You found him!" The ninja takes out a pair of daggers. "Were you the one that hurt Suzu?!"

"I only just heard what happened to her!" Klarth defends himself.

"We found him collapsed in the forest," I explain. "Will you take us to see Suzu?"

"...Fine." Leaves swirl and we appear in the village. The three of us run back to where Suzu lays, and Sheena looks up at us, tears in her eyes.

"What's going on? How's Suzu?" Klarth crouches down next to the ninjas.

"They... they don't know... if she's... I-I mean... she's lost... a lot..." Sheena can barely explain in her fear. There must be something we can do! Do I have anything that can help?! I pull my quiver down and start searching through the items I put in here... they no doubt tried apple gels... and orange gels... What's this? A bottle of liquid... when did I buy this? Ah, it probably can't help anyway... I start to toss it behind my back.

"Chester, wait!" Klarth grabs my arm. "T-that's a life bottle! That's perfect! Hand it here!" I comply, though instead Sheena snatches the bottle. She tears off the cork and pours it in her sister's mouth, holding Suzu's head up a little. Like magic, some of the worst cuts become more shallow. We watch in anticipation, but she continues to sleep.

"Will she... be okay...?" Arche whispers.

"Yeah... you need to get a healer here as soon as possible," Klarth suggests to the ninjas. "There's one in Olive—Meryl Adnade. Send a ninja to get her."

Sheena nods and turns to a ninja in the corner of the room—I hadn't noticed him before that. "You heard him." The ninja vanishes. The rest of us wait in silence.

Klarth is the first to stand. "I'm going to talk to the chief." He exits the room, leaving the rest of us to even more silence as we stare at the young ninja, waiting for her to wake up... What happened to her? What happened to Klarth?

Arche gasps.

"Something wrong?"

"That sword..." We stare at the sword Klarth left leaning against the wall. "Do you think... it's the Eternal Sword...?"

"That's not possible!" I point out. "It's sealed away, and Klarth decided to leave it like that until we find the wielder of it, remember?"

"Yeah... you're right. Klarth-sensei wouldn't have released the seal on it..." She fades back into silence.

"Oh that's right!" Arche suddenly bursts out. "I forgot to tell you—Mint called last night! She finished searching through the records."

"What'd she find?"

"There's no record of Meryl Adnade ever having a child."

"What? But she said she had a daughter... I'd think she'd know, too..." This seems strange.

"I know, and the researches in the achieves go out of their way to make sure they record every birth... I doubt they'd miss such an important one as a Hero of Space-Time." Silence engulfs us again as we consider this.

With a gust of wind, the ninja who left to retrieve Meryl returns, except he's accompanied by someone else. "Meryl Adnade was not in Olive anymore," the ninja explains to Sheena, "but I found another healer."

The man standing next to him has short, golden hair and kind blue eyes. He's very small and could easily be mistaken for a girl, yet despite his young age, he has an air of maturity about him. He dresses like a noble... he has a dark green shirt on with long sleeves, and over that is a lighter tunic with golden patterns embroidered down the center. His pants are long and seem to flow into his beige boots—the same color as his fingerless gloves. "Where's the patient?"

Sheena scoots over, inviting the man to sit down and examine Suzu. He does this, moving the covers to examine the young girl's wounds.

"What's your name?" Sheena asks the man.

"Auoun." A blue light emits from his hand, swallowing up Suzu's body. I watch as some of the deeper wounds become shallower, and small cuts completely vanish. His power's amazing...! The door behind us opens, but I don't turn my gaze from the power wielded by the healer.

"Auoun!" a surprised voice exclaims, and the healer stops and spins around to see who called his name: standing in the doorway is Klarth F. Lester, awestruck.

"Klarth!" Astonishment covers Auoun's face as well. "What are you doing here?!"

Klarth folds his arms over his body. "I should be asking _you_ that. Aren't you supposed to be getting married soon?"

I lean over to Arche. "Hey, do we know this guy?"

"He looks kinda familiar, but I don't remember him," Arche whispers back.

Auoun smiles kindly at our teacher. "Thank you for your concern, but I was already out on a mission anyway. Besides, we have plenty of time to get to know each other.

"But you still must tell me, what brings you to Japoni?"

"Research."

"Working hard, eh? That's just like you..." The man laughs as he turns back to Suzu. "Even when we were kids you were always working hard."

"When you were kids? Are you childhood friends?" I question curiously. Auoun notices me for the first time.

"Yeah. Klarth, Milard, and I grew up together. ...Hey, you're not that guy on the wanted posters, are you?"

"N-no! I'm not!" I wish he hadn't thought of that... I wanted to ask him something else...

"So how old does that make you, then...?" Good, Arche covered my question.

Klarth throws an annoyed glare at her. "I'm not _that_ old! I'm only twenty nine!"

"You're old," Arche and I chorus, while Sheena can't help but smile in amusement.

Auoun chuckles. "Time really does fly, doesn't it? I'm actually the youngest of the group... my brother's closer to Klarth's age. I'm six years younger than him."

Klarth walks over and sits down near his friend, watching Suzu's wounds heal. "How are Lynn and Curt, anyway? I haven't heard from them in a while."

Wait, Lynn? The girl that was at my house—that Ami was talking to?

"They're both fine. I rarely hear from Curt myself, but I know that he's doing well. Lynn's thinking about moving to a small village near a forest—the town of Miguel."

So it _is_ that Lynn! "I've met her. She's become friends with my sister."

"You mean Ami Barklight? So then you _are_ Chester!"

Uh-oh... busted.

"You're not going to report him, are you? Chester's a Hero of Space-Time..." Klarth attempts to persuade his friend.

Auoun smiles reassuringly. "If he's traveling with you, Klarth, I'm not worried about it at all. Besides..." The man fades into silence as he thinks about something. 'Besides' what? Auoun stands up. "Now she just needs to rest. We should probably leave the room so we do not crowd her."

"I'm staying," says a stubborn Sheena. "I want to watch over her." The rest of us nod and exit the room, leaving the sisters alone. As he exits, Klarth grabs the mysterious sword, which he examines yet again as we exit the room.

"That's a very nice sword," comments Auoun. "I didn't know you used swords, Klarth."

"I don't. I found it... We should probably take it with us and see if we can find out more about it on the way."

"Agreed," I say. "Should we wait for Suzu to wake up before leaving?"

"Yes, we still have to see if she'll come with us."

"Suzu-chan's coming with us?" Oh yeah, Arche doesn't know that Suzu might be a hero. I explain the memory and my theory that Suzu's a Hero of Space-Time as well.

"Good morning." Cless is walking towards us, followed by Lloyd, Kratos, Zelos, and Presea. "How's Suzu-chan? We came as soon as we heard!"

"She's resting," answers Klarth, but Cless' attention has fallen on Auoun with shock.

"I-it's you!"

Auoun smiles. "Cless Alvein, correct? Mint-chan's friend?"

"Yeah, that's me," Cless says as he returns his own smile, but both of them look too stiff; even though they both smile, it feels more like an ice tornado is floating through the air. "You're Auoun Gimli, aren't you?"

"Pleased to meet you. I've heard some... _interesting_ rumors about you."

"Oh? Like what?"

The rest of us, including Klarth, stand there watching, too scared to even attempt to get between the two. If they hate each other so much, why bother with the formalities? Why don't they just yell or fight or something?

"Well, let's see... You know the princess _too_ well, and you're often hanging around her... You failed the first knight test, and I hear you even called for help during it! Pathetic! You're quiet—you never converse with the other knights. You're a country bumpkin, not even among the noble class... You're somewhat defiant to your superiors, and you've been caught daydreaming on the job. If I'm correct, that even got you kidnapped by a measly _six_ rebels. Did I miss anything? Oh wait, I forgot, and your best friend is trying to kill you."

"Don't drag me into this!" I tell him.

"Now you know how I feel..." mutters Klarth.

"So you're Cless' best friend... or at least used to be..." Auoun studies me. "Interesting..." Cless stands there, now frowning in irritation. "Oh, and Cless... I thought you were supposed to be kidnapped."

"He is," Lloyd speaks up from behind Cless. "He has no weapons, and we're keeping a close eye on him." I didn't notice before, but Cless doesn't have a sword strapped on anymore...

Auoun looks disgusted. "That's just... _pitiful_." I agree. If they're going under the guise that he's kidnapped, they should at least make him _look_ like he's kidnapped!

"...How's Mint doing?" Cless asks, averting his eyes.

"I'm sure she'd be doing a lot better if she knew she could trust you," retorts Auoun.

"At least I'm more trustworthy than the rest of the knights." I knew I didn't like those knights... are they all really _that_ untrustworthy?

"I'll tell them not to bother saving you. We don't need worthless knights like you," Klarth's friend says coldly. Turning to the rebels, he asks, "Is one of you named Aurion?"

Kratos folds his arms across his body. "Two of us are. Why?"

"I see..." Auoun considers this, but his face gives away nothing. I wonder what he's thinking... "Well then, I should get going. Klarth, I suggest you leave as well... the king is going to visit Japoni soon, and if he finds you with a rebel..."

"Understood. Then I must speak with the chief once more. Chester, Arche, come on," Klarth says as he leads the way to the chief.

Inside, he sits down on his knees to address the chief. "We must take our leave early, I'm afraid... About what I said, with Suzu being a Hero of Space-Time... When she awakens, could you send her to Miguel? We'll be getting spirits in that area, and we'll wait for her in the town."

The chief nods. "Very well. I'm sure it'll be best for all of us if Suzu goes with you... We'll take care of her until she's well enough to travel.

"A ninja will be at the southern gate to escort you out when you're ready. He can take you all the way to the edge of the Ymir Forest, but no farther."

"Thank you." The summoner stands and we start walking out of the house.

"Tell Suzu-chan that I hope she gets well soon!" Arche says to the chief before following us. We head to the inn next, where we gather our stuff. Klarth puts the mysterious sword in the large bag, but the hilt of it is poking out the top of the bag. We go to the southern entrance, where a ninja is waiting along with Auoun and the rebels, minus Sheena. All of them are eerily quiet because of the tension between Auoun and Cless... why do they hate each other so much? The ninja man takes us to the edge of Ymir Forest, where the first elven guard is standing.

"Klarth..." We turn to find Auoun now smiling kindly at his old friend. "I'll see you later. Good luck getting your power back!" He holds his hand out, which Klarth shakes.

"You take care, and thanks for all your help."

Turning to the ninja, the healer says, "Will you drop me by Heimdall on your way back?" With a nod from the guide, they both disappear in a whirl of leaves.

"Lester-sensei... Is he a friend of yours?" Cless asks.

"Yeah. He's one of my best friends."

"O-oh... sorry about arguing with him, then..."

"You're angry at him for taking Mint, aren't you?" Klarth questions, which causes Cless' face to turn red.

"W-what?! N-no! It's nothing like that!"

"What's going on?" I whisper to Arche.

"Ooh, you mean Auoun's the person Mint's engaged to?" Arche asks Klarth and Cless.

"You didn't know?"

"The princess is engaged?" inquires Lloyd.

"Have you really not heard yet? The king announced it a week ago," Kratos speaks up. "It's an arranged marriage from what I hear."

"Yeah, Mint doesn't want to marry the guy. She's seen him around before, but she barely knows him," Arche explains. "I didn't realize he was an old friend of yours, Klarth-sensei!"

"As good of a person he is, I don't really approve of arranged marriages... People should be allowed to marry whoever they want."

"You're just saying that 'cause you want to marry Milard," teases Lloyd, which causes Klarth to turn as red as Cless.

"N-no! S-she's just a friend! She helps me with my research, that's it!"

Klarth likes Milard, eh? I start laughing along with Lloyd, Arche, and Zelos.

"We should hurry before the king arrives," Presea says, reminding all of us of the danger that we're in. Oh, that's right!

We hurry towards the mountains, where the forest hides us. There, Lloyd turns to us and offers, "Shall we join up again? We're all looking for the same thing, right?"

"About that, just what _are_ you searching for?" Klarth confronts them.

"We're trying to find the Heroes of Space-Time and get their powers back," answers Kratos. "Isn't that what you're doing?"

"It is, but what is your reason for searching for us? What do you want us to use our power for?"

The rebels look a little uneasy as they consider a way to answer the question. They don't want to answer... They're definitely hiding something.

"Yggdrasil's dying..." Lloyd finally answers, quietly. "Yggdrasil's become so reliant on Martel that it can't survive without her, but..."

"Martel and a Mana Seed left Aselia two thousand years ago, correct?" the teacher asks.

"Yes. Yggdrasil has managed to survive this long on its own, but its dying..." Kratos continues. "We know where Martel is, but we need the Eternal Sword and the one who wields it to set things right."

"But Origin said it was dangerous to take the sword now," I point out. The rebels were there... did he not want them to have it? What _is_ Yggdrasil? And who is Martel? I guess I'll ask Klarth more about it when we separate from the rebels...

"So where are you headed to next?" Lloyd asks.

"Gnome and Volt."

"You haven't been there yet?" Zelos asks. "Geez you're slow! We're headed off to Efreet."

"We've already been there."

"O-oh, really?"

Wait a second... they don't want to tag along with us? And they've been to Gnome and Volt? But... unless they have a Hero of Space-Time, it wouldn't matter would... it... My eyes fall on Cless. Unless they have a Hero... They had me before, so when I left they wouldn't have any... unless Cless is one... N-no! He _can't_ be! He... just can't! Kratos is handing Cless a sword, which the swordsman attaches to his clothes. Cless notices me staring.

"Is something wrong, Chester?"

"You're _not_!"

"Not what?" Cless looks confused.

"Uh... Chester? Are you okay?"

"I think he's gone crazy," Arche says. "Must be caused by his amnesia... either that or his stupidity."

"Idiot!" I yell at her. "If they're going to the Cave of Burning Sand, then that means they have a Hero!"

"That's right, Chester-kun!" Zelos says. "Pretty smart deduction, even if your taste in hunnies isn't that good!"

"At least it's better than yours!"

"...Somehow, I don't think I _want_ to know," mutters Klarth.

"I'll second that," agrees Cless.

I glare at Cless. "I guess that makes you the Swordsman of Space-Time, then."

Cless smiles kindly at me as he answers, "Yes, I am. Pretty surprising, huh? I never would've dreamed of being the reincarnation of a hero!"

"If you're the swordsman... then why didn't you want the Eternal Sword?" questions Klarth.

"Ah, um..." Cless averts his eyes, trying to think of a good answer. "It... it would be better for me to get the rest of my powers before I get the sword!" He's smiling again, though this time it's more of a forced smile... why doesn't he want the Eternal Sword? I don't understand these people... What are they all hiding...?

"...Well, either way, if you're a Hero of Space-Time, then you should join up with us."

What?! No...!

"We'd have to backtrack a lot if I joined you now," Cless says. "Please go get Gnome and Volt... I'll meet up with you at a later summon."

"You sure that's best?"

"Yes."

"Very well. We'll see you later... good luck, Cless," Klarth turns and starts walking towards our right.

"Good luck to you, too."

"Bye Cless! Bye Zelos!"

"See you later, my sweet hunny!" Zelos calls to Arche as his group turns and starts walking directly away from Ymir, towards the port to Freyland.

**Chester gained the title of Craftsman. It is a title given to one who is skilled at crafts and works hard to complete them.**

**Suzu gained the title of Ninja of Space-Time. It is a title reserved for the Hero of Space-Time skilled with the shadow techniques of a ninja.**

**Klarth gained the title of Sleepwalker. How'd I get here while asleep...?**

**Klarth gained the title of Mach Middle Age. It's a title given to someone who's in their late 20's.**

**Cless has received the disgraceful title of Failed Knight. Everything he does as a knight is wrong...**

**Cless gained the title of Swordsman of Space-Time. It is a title reserved for the Hero of Space-Time skilled with the sword.**

**Chester learned Wild Rain.**

**Arche learned Distortion.**

**Suzu learned Crow Blade.**

**Cless learned ****Distortion Blade.**

**Klarth found ****a ?****Sword.**


	12. Psychologist

Yay Klarth hat! Now I'm a _really_ happy camper! Like, extremely excited hyper mode! My costume is almost complete! Thank you, K-chan! (she did most (cough,all) of the work on the hat)... And thank you, Rin, for making the Klarth pants for me!

Er, back to the story... I based Chester's major on what he becomes after the game (seen in Tales of Phantasia: Narikiri Dungeon... I haven't played the game, but I read all about it).

Also, does anyone remember how Arche's father looks? I managed to avoid describing him this time (maybe he was off visiting Euclid or something), but I might have to describe him later...

**Disclaimer: Wow, no Tales of Symphonia characters show up in this chapter, do they? ...Weird... Well, I still don't own them. And I don't own the Tales of Phantasia characters, either. ****Or their world. ****Or... anything about the game. Those are all owned by Namco!**

**--****Psychologist****--**

We continue our journey over the undulating terrain. Before too long, we reach... another port. Great... just what I always wanted... Why do we have to ride so many ships?! We pay the captain and clamber aboard right before the ship sets out. On the sea, I ask Klarth about Yggdrasil and Martel.

"Yggdrasil is the Tree of Life... it's a tree near Miguel that all mana flows from and depends on. If Yggdrasil withers and dies, then the world will have no mana. Martel is the goddess that used to live inside of Yggdrasil... However, about two thousand years ago, a seed from Yggdrasil containing a substantial amount of mana ascended through the heavens and disappeared in the sky. Martel disappeared with it... no one knows what happened to either.

"Now then, as far as our journey... we're going to be out to sea for a while. We'll reach Venezia around nightfall," Klarth explains. "From there we'll head south until we get close to Miguel. We'll head to the Cavern of Spirits first, where Gnome dwells. We can camp in Miguel the night after that and head to Volt's Cave first thing in the morning. Hopefully Suzu will meet us in Miguel around that time."

"I'm glad Gnome and Volt are close together," says the witch. "That means we won't have to travel as far... Where's the summon after those two?"

"We can either stop in Morlia, where I got Maxwell, or we can move on to the Tower of the Zodiac, where Luna waits. I still need to grab Undine, but this ship won't stop by the Limestone Cave. After that, all we should have left are Shadow, Aska, and Origin... Unfortunately, no one knows where Shadow and Aska are."

"Plus we'll need to backtrack with Suzu and Meryl's daughter," I point out.

Klarth nods. "Unless the rebels and Cless find Meryl's daughter first, that is. Until we have more of a lead on where she is, we'll just have to hope one of us sees her in the memories we get with our powers."

I stare out at the ocean, letting the wind flow through my hair. "Each new memory becomes a little clearer than the last, so we should be able to see how she looks soon... maybe even catch her name."

"Still, I find it weird how she wasn't in the databases," Arche adds. To Klarth's puzzled look, the half elf explains the results of Mint's search for Meryl's daughter.

Klarth ponders this. "If she's not in the databases, then that means they don't want anyone to know about her... which means the king probably knows where she is."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. If you look in the databases... you wouldn't be able to find my connection to my parents," the summoner explains. "I might not even be in those databases."

"What?!"

"The king's trying to keep all of us in check, it seems," continues Klarth. "He definitely tried to do that with me..." Realizing that we were expecting an explanation now, Klarth says, "They found me soon after I was born and took me in custody... I grew up in the castle as a research experiment, saying that my mana was exceedingly strong for a human. Now I realize that that was only because I'm a Hero of Space-Time... Anyway, when I got older and the excuse grew old, the king ordered that I become a researcher as well. Eventually they told me what I was and took me to get Sylph, most likely in the hopes that I would stay loyal to them. I spent most of my time not only studying summoning, but also studying the Heroes of Space-Time so that I could one day find the rest of them... I learned a lot through history books, such as the ages of the rest of you. With that knowledge, I requested to become a teacher of your generation in the hopes that some of you would be in my class... Looks like I got pretty lucky with that.

"I'm not the only one the king tried to control, though." Turning to me, he asks, "Did you know Cless didn't want to become a knight? Before you lost your memory, you two were both unhappy with the decision... The captain of the knights recruited Cless for his exceptional skill with a sword, and anyone who is 'asked' to become a knight cannot turn it down. Maybe they recruited him because he's a Hero of Space-Time... by forcing him to serve the king, they ensure their safety and can try to make him loyal. Looks like that didn't turn out too well, either...

"The king is after you as well, Chester. He's taking a different approach with you, though, which is quite interesting... instead of trying to make you loyal, he's trying to arrest and kill you. With wanted posters spreading all over the place, I doubt any town will be safe for you for long... However, what I find most intriguing is that the knights seem to know what happened to you to give you your wounds and make you lose your memory. You see... you weren't arrested by knights before then. Bandits raided the school, taking all of the people who died on the beach... and you. No one knows what happened after that... did the knights fail to rescue the students from the bandits, or did something else happen? Until you get your memory back, we may never know."

"I see... Bandits, huh...?" So that's what happened... or at least, what started it... What happened after that...? And Cless never wanted to be a knight... I guess that's why he was happy to be kidnapped, and why he's joined the rebels. He's even changed out of his knight armor and into something else... was that to separate himself from the knights even further? And Klarth grew up in the castle... could it be that Meryl's daughter grew up there as well...? Or did the king try to kill her...?

"What about me and Suzu? They haven't done anything to us!"

"Chances are they don't know that you two are Heroes of Space-Time. It'd probably be wisest to keep that secret as long as possible. As far as Meryl's daughter goes, we'll probably want to check the castle... We can ask Mint and Milard to ask around for us and see if they can find anyone who doesn't know who her real parents are. Once we locate her, we'll know where all of the Heroes of Space-Time are."

Arche stares at the waves crashing against the ship, deep in thought. "...Hey Klarth-sensei, is there a chance that Meryl's daughter's been adopted?"

"Of course."

"Could she be listed in the database as being the biological daughter of her adopted parents?"

"If the king approves of it, yes."

"...And she's a healer?"

"Yes. Do you think you know who she is...?"

"Think about it. Don't you see a pattern?" Arche asks as she stares at both of us. We shake our heads, which causes the witch to roll her eyes. "Klarth-sensei, Chester, Cless, Suzu-chan, and I are the ones we know..."

So? Wait a minute... "That picture!"

"Huh?"

I reach in my pockets... please say I didn't leave it in my bag... Is this it? Yes, it is! I pull out the picture with Cless, Mint, Arche, Suzu, Klarth, and me. All of us except Mint are definitely heroes... but wait, that'd make her Meryl's daughter, but... no, I'm probably wrong...

"Of course! The five of you were in the same group in my classes..." Klarth says. "It might just be coincidence, but... we need to find out somehow if Mint is a Hero of Space-Time or not. She may not be since she's the princess, but..."

"...the king could've placed her as the princess to control her!" Arche finishes. "And she's a healer who looks at least a little like Meryl—it fits!"

"Not necessarily. We could be jumping to conclusions... It seems a little _too_ easy. I guess we should make our next priority to find out whether or not she's a hero. We can do that with—"

"—the stone!" I realize. That stone that Morrison has... it found me and Klarth and—of course! It kept glowing after I touched it because Suzu was in the room! We never looked at it after she left...

"Exactly. But the group we ran into in Japoni didn't seem to have the stone, and we don't know where the rest of them are. We'll need to find them before we can find out if Mint's a Hero of Space-Time, because I doubt the king will approve of her traveling with a researcher, an unknown student, and a criminal."

"Hey, I know the king!" argues Arche. "He's been over to the dorm a few times to see how Mint's doing."

"...Why was Mint in a dorm if she's the princess?" I ask.

"She wanted to go to college like a normal student, not a princess. The teachers and I were the only ones in the college who knew that she was a princess!"

"...Hey, Arche, will you tell me some about my life back then?" If we're going to be sailing for a while, this would be a good chance to find out more about who I am.

"Well, as you know, you and Cless came from Miguel. You two were in the same dorm room 'til Cless had to leave to become a knight. You carried two jobs _and_ had school work, so I didn't really hang out with you outside of school. I don't know much about most of your classes, though... I don't like most of the classes for your major."

"What major is it?"

"Humanities. Anyway, you and Cless had a lot of friends. When you first entered college, you had a girlfriend from high school, but you two broke up soon after. Your personality was, unfortunately, the same back then as it is now."

"What do you mean 'unfortunately'?!"

With a wave of her hand, she continues, "Your grades are average, typically coming behind the rest of us—"

"Actually, Arche, you and Chester often got around the same grade... which causes you two to compete for the higher grade."

"He didn't need to know that!"

Why am I asking _her_ for information about my past...? She's probably twisting everything to her liking! "Never mind, Arche. Klarth, what can you tell me?"

"Hey! I'm telling mostly truth!"

"That 'mostly' is what scares me!" I yell back at her.

"That's the only thing I didn't tell accurately!"

"It's _my_ past, and I want to hear it all accurately! I don't remember anything, so how am I supposed to know that you're not twisting _everything_ around?!"

"Hey, you know I wouldn't do that!"

"And how can I be so sure?! You already tried to mess up one thing!"

"That was just one thing!"

"It could be more for all I know!"

"Chester, you're so mean!"

"_I'm_ mean?! _You're_ the one who's messing around with my memory! I'd _much_ rather Klarth tell me about my past!"

"So you don't trust me?!"

"I think I have a good reason not to!"

"What?! I hate you!"

"The feeling's mutual! Klarth, can you tell me—" I turn to where Klarth was standing only to find that he's not there anymore. I glance around, but I still don't see him. "Klarth?"

"Hmph!" Arche marches away, slamming the door that leads below deck.

I can't believe she'd do that... someone like her shouldn't be called a hero of anything! She's always so selfish!

I don't see the other two for the remainder of the ride. We reach Venezia as the sun begins to set, where I wait for them off of the ship. Klarth joins me first, followed shortly by Arche. "It's not as late as I thought it'd be..." Klarth observes. "It's a long walk to Euclid, but we can either go tonight or wait until morning."

"We can just go to Lone Valley," suggests Arche. "We have an extra room there that you two can sleep in!"

"Huh?"

Meeting my confused expression, the witch explains, "I live in Lone Valley." Klarth agrees to spending the night at Arche's, so we leave Venezia.

Outside, we head southwest until we reach the beach, which we follow. As we meet an area of beach next to rocky mountains, monsters attack us. Two of them are human-sized walking cat creatures. They have indigo fur and wear silver armor with wooden clubs. Above them fly two giant flies. I direct my attention upwards, shooting the flies. An arrow goes in the first, making it fall back a little, but it gets up and resumes charging. I release another arrow into the thing, giving the creatures on the ground enough time to get to me—the first pulls its club up and throws it down at me—

"Distortion!" Arche yells, and a bubble appears out of thin air. It seizes the confused creature up and floats upwards, where both the bubble and the creature disappear. Whoa, is _that_ what she learned at Origin? I wonder where the creature disappeared to...

The other three monsters continue charging at us. "Wild Rain!" I release an arrow into the air, which splits into multiple that rain down upon the creatures.

"Sylph!" The Sylph twins surround the remaining cat-creature and sweep it up in a tornado. It falls to the ground, dead, as I shoot an arrow at the closest giant fly. That, too, falls, and I concentrate on the second fly. I shoot an arrow at it.

"Ice Arrow!" Arche's magic circle flashes and daggers of ice plunge into the remaining monster, pinning it to the ground. "I won I won!" the girl cheers.

We continue following the beach until we reach a bridge, which we cross. We take an immediate right and follow this new shoreline until there's an opening in the cliffs on our left—Lone Valley. We enter, but by this time we can barely see the ground. Luckily the house is next to the entrance to the valley, so we don't have to worry about more monsters. Arche quietly opens the door and lets us through before closing it as slowly and silently as she can. It's a wooden house with a door straight ahead. To the right I see a table with a white table cloth and three chairs—I can't see much else in the darkness. Arche leads us through the door, which she's again careful about handling so as not to wake anyone up. In here is a living room with two couches angled to be able to see the diagonal TV in the corner. There's a coffee table in front of the couches, and shelves and bookcases along the far wall, which ends short... oh, are those stairs? There are many pictures on the walls and shelves, but I can't make them out in the darkness. The three of us quietly ascend the stairs, which leads to a wooden hallway with many doors. Arche walks to the second door on the left, which she slowly opens. She turns on the lights and we follow her in; she closes the door behind us.

"All right, bathroom's one room farther, on the left. If you need anything to eat, tell me now, 'cause Dad would freak out if he saw you before I could explain. I'll leave a note telling you when it's save to come out in the morning... just stay in here 'til then."

"You didn't call them when we decided we were coming here?"

"Heh heh... I forgot," Arche admits. "Anyway, good night, I'll see you in the morning!" She begins to duck out, but I stop her.

"Uh, Arche?"

"What?"

"There's only one bed."

"Can't you guys share?"

"No!"

She rolls her eyes. "This is the only extra bed, and you can't sleep on the couch since we're dropping in without notice."

"I have a sleeping bag," offers Klarth.

"That'll work."

"I'll bring some more blankets then," Arche offers. "Want anything to eat while I'm at it?"

"If you could just bring us some small snacks, that'd be nice."

"Okay, I'll be right back!" She leaves the room, cracking the door behind her.

"So who gets the bed?" Klarth asks.

"Rock-paper-scissors?"

Klarth chuckles and agrees, and we each hold a fist out. As we move our fists up in down, we chant: "Rock, paper, scissors, shoot!" I keep my fist balled up for rock, while Klarth's hand shoots out into paper.

"Oh well, I guess that's better... seniority should get the bed, right?" I tease.

"I'm not that old!" Klarth sets the bag on the bed and opens it up. He reaches down, moving the mysterious sword out of his way, and pulls out a sleeping bag. He tosses it at me, and I catch it and begin unrolling it. Arche enters the room with a few blankets, a pillow, and a box of crackers. After helping us set up, she leaves again, completely closing the door this time.

Klarth and I stay up for a while, eating crackers and talking. He tells me about the summon spirits... He has Sylph, Efreet, and Maxwell, and while he's wearing their rings, he can hear them conversing in his head. Sylph is a wind spirit, and the twins are identical in every way; he says they're both very kind and encouraging, though a little timid. Efreet, the fire spirit, is almost completely opposite in personality, though he's still completely willing to help Klarth. Maxwell, Klarth says, is very quiet and calculating—he always has to be exact, and he typically only says wise things. "When he speaks up, I always listen." He doesn't remember what the others are like since he only knew them in his previous life. The one we're going for next is Gnome, the earth spirit.

"What's it like with all of them in your head?"

"It's not too bad yet... these three typically stay quiet. And if one gets too loud, I can take the ring controlling them off. But they're all friends of mine, so I know they won't try to bother me." I notice that right now he's only wearing three rings—one for each of his spirits. "They feed off of my mana—I hear spirits like that. When I first learned that with Sylph, I was worried about not having enough mana to sustain them all... but I've been getting stronger with each spirit, so it's not a strain at all."

"So you have that in your head _and_ you have to put up with me and Arche arguing?" I inquire. I feel kinda bad now...

"Yeah. I hope the others join us before I get too many..."

"Sorry. I'll try not to argue with her as much..." I mean it, too. I didn't realize Klarth had to deal with so much... All of the spirits in his head plus the commotion outside could really strain his mind... Heh, Arche said I'm a humanities major, right? I guess that's shining through now...

Klarth yawns and sets his hat on the lampshade next to him. He then turns out the lamp. "Well, I don't know about you, but I need to get to bed now. Good night, Chester."

"'Night," I say as I shove the box of crackers away and lay down. It's a little cold... I wrap myself up in the blankets.

When I open my eyes, I'm in a dark jail cell with a bunch of other people—students my age. All of us are wearing school uniforms, and everyone looks scared. My hands are tied up... but so are everyone else's. "What's going on?" I ask. The other people stare at me, fear plastered on their faces. The bravest one whispers "bandits" and falls quiet again. The place smells nasty... like mud. A door somewhere clanks open, and a storm of armor begins marching towards us. Are these... knights?

The other students rush at the bars and start asking the knights for help. I scan through them, looking for Cless... I don't see him anywhere. The knights make a semi-circle, almost like they're keeping us from getting out... They're going to escort us out, right...? Something seems wrong... they all look so cold...

One knight opens the door, and the students begin rushing out. I walk out in the rear, and after we're all out, knights fill in around us, making a circle... Some of the knights charges in, and each one seizes a student. I feel one grab my shoulder and pull me back forcefully; they make a neat line, putting me somewhere in the center. Each student is paired with a knight, and we start marching forwards. What's going on? What are they doing? "Are you getting us out of here?" I ask the knight next to me. He grins maliciously, but doesn't answer.

We stop in a dark tunnel. There are more knights around to watch us... to stop us from trying to escape? But why... what are they doing?!

After a little while of tense silence, a pair of knights carries the body of a student past us. I avert my eyes from the sight—it's horrifying... the student's bleeding... What happened to him?!

More time passes and another dead student is carried through, then another and another. Fear grips my chest. What's happening up there...? Are they walking us to our deaths...? But... but why...?! With each body, the line moves forwards... Eventually, I can hear someone screaming up ahead... The person in front of me is taken through a door, and soon after I hear her scream in pain... It seems like eternity before her body is carried back. The knights push me forward roughly, and my heard starts beating quickly as we get closer and closer to the door. Sweat pours down my face... what's waiting on the other side of that door? What are these knights doing? Why is everyone dying? I don't like this... and there are too many knights to try to escape...

The knight opens the door, which leads to a brighter room with more shining armor... and bright crimson blood spilled all over the floor...

"Chester... Chester! Chester, wake up!"

Someone's nudging me—I jump up and look around, trying to figure out where I am. This doesn't look like the room I was in... What happened to the knights...?

"Chester, are you all right?! You're as pale as a ghost!" Klarth...? Oh yeah, I went to sleep at Arche's house... I must've had a nightmare... I lay my head back down on the pillow. "Are you okay?" Klarth asks, and I nod.

"You don't look so great..." Arche says from behind Klarth. "You're not sick, are you?"

I think back to the images of the scared students and their recently-dead bodies... Ah! They're the same bodies that I saw on the beach! ...I feel like I'm gonna throw up...

"I-I'll go get some water!" Arche runs out of the room.

"You should probably move to the bed... can you get up?" Klarth asks as he offers me a hand. I gladly take it, and let him pull me up onto my wobbly legs.

"I'm fine," I lie. "We should go downstairs..."

"No," the teacher says firmly. "You need to rest... you don't look well at all."

"But we need to go get Gnome—"

"Not if you're not feeling well."

"I'm feeling fine—"

"You're about to topple over. Now get some rest!" Klarth pushes me a little and I fall on the bed. I'm alive... but I feel like I should be dead after that nightmare... if felt so real, too...

I hear someone enter the room. "Mom's making soup, but I brought some water." I turn around and sit up on the bed, my back against the wall. I take the water she hands me and gulp it down without a word. Klarth and Arche simply watch me, and Arche takes the empty glass from me and sets it on the table.

"What happened?" Klarth finally asks.

"I think... it was a memory... of when all those students died..." That must've been it... they were definitely the same people, and it felt too real for a normal dream... Did I have that dream because we talked about it earlier...? "I didn't see any bandits..." I continue after a minute of silence. "...Instead, I saw a bunch of knights organizing it."

"What?!"

"This must be what that letter was talking about... What were the knights doing?"

"I don't know. You woke me up as I entered the room the students died in... I didn't see anything but colors in there."

An elf woman walks in the room. She has rosy pink hair and matching eyes, much like Arche. She's wearing a dress with a white top and a red skirt, and she's carrying a bowl with a spoon over. "Here's the soup... You must be Chester?"

"Yeah... and thanks." I take the soup and start engulfing it.

"I'm Arche's mother. And you're... Professor Lester? Arche's history and fighting teacher?"

Klarth removes his hat and shakes the woman's hand. "Pleased to meet you." I saw him wince at the name... heh.

Arche's mother is really nice, completely different from the half elf. She offers to help us out as much as we need. Klarth makes me rest even after I finish the soup and feel better... Eventually he finally agrees that we can leave, and we head on to the Cavern of Spirits, where Gnome rests.

**Arche gained the title of Detective. She can figure things out with only a few clues!**

**Chester gained the title of Psychologist. It is a title given to one who has taken courses in Humanities and understands the human mind.**


	13. Protective Brother

**And here we start some Arche/Chester/Lynn-triangle-****ness****. ...Just a warning.**

**Disclaimer: Same as before.**

**--Protective Brother--**

We leave Lone Valley and walk south past Euclid. I recognize this area... We're close to Miguel, and to the left of here is where I called Klarth after leaving the rebels... We head that direction, only instead of going to the beach, we follow the river until we reach a bridge to cross. After crossing it, we walk along the beach until we see a rocky cave in the middle of the sand. We enter the cave.

The area inside is much like the Limestone Cave... very rocky, and straight ahead of us is a pool of sea water. The path splits off to the left and the right, and we take the right path. We cross a bridge and turn left, passing by a bunch of rocky columns. At the end of that path, there's a door and another path veering to the left. We walk up to the door, which Klarth examines.

"It seems to want a password..."

"And what's _that_ supposed to be?" Arche demands.

"Beats me."

"Shall we look around?" Klarth asks, and Arche sighs.

"Is there even anyone around who can tell us the password...?"

"Hey you!" a small voice says. We turn around and look down, where a small white humanoid creature stands. It looks to be made of clay... It walks up to Arche and starts examining her. It circles around her, making the witch nervous.

"Um... can I help you?"

"Do you ride on that broom?" it asks, attempting to point with its tiny hand.

"Yeah..." Arche puts the broom behind her and sits on it, letting it slowly float up a little. The creature jumps up and down, excited.

"You're the one! You're the one!"

"Huh?" I turn to Klarth. "Any idea what's going on?"

"Nope. Hey, Arche, have you been here before?"

"Nope, never. I don't know what's going on, either."

"This creature is definitely a Clay Idol..." Klarth mutters as the creature runs up to the door.

"Kikurin!" the Clay Idol yells, and the door swings open. He runs through, beckoning for us to follow. After exchanging confused glances, we follow him around a curve and down a long set of stairs. We continue following that path, ignoring the new paths that go the other way. We go out a door and down another set of stairs. We head to the right as the cavern gets bigger, but it narrows again as we follow the path. It curves to the right and leads us through two more doors before reaching an area with more water. We walk on the dry path, which opens up into a large area with more Clay Idols. Our guide runs up to his kind, excited. "I found the half elf!"

The other Clay Idols jump up and stare at Arche, who floats a little behind us, nervous. I wonder what they want with Arche... I hope this isn't a trap...

The Clay Idols run up to Arche and stare at her. "It's the half elf! It's the half elf!"

"Where's the human ninja?"

"Human ninja? You mean Suzu-chan?" Arche asks. "Wait, why do you want me and Suzu-chan?"

"You brought my friends back," one of the Clay Idols says. "You two are good!"

"Huh?! But I don't remember this..."

"Maybe it was in your previous life?" I suggest.

"Either way, you're quite popular... Will you ask them to take us to Gnome?"

"Uh... sure! Hey, little guys! We need to talk to Gnome... he around here?"

"Follow us!" The Clay Idols start running to the right, and we follow. The path curves to the right and we go down yet another set of stairs. Down here, the holes aren't filled with water anymore... they fall into darkness, and I can't see what's at the bottom of them. We cross a rickety bridge and head left through a door.

There are three paths here, separated by chasms filled with water. One path goes off to the right, while another goes ahead and to the left. The third path goes straight; we take that path. We enter the door straight ahead, where we reach what seems to be a dead end.

The Clay Idols immediately begin jumping around. "Gnome! Gnome! We found the half elf!"

What looks like a group of large worms pops up from the ground, and I can see that each one has a pair of eyes.

"Not only Arche, but Klarth and Chester as well," the worms observe. "Klarth, I thought you were dead?"

"I've been reborn."

"I see... Welcome back. I am Gnome." Turning to Arche, it says, "I never got to thank you for saving the Clay Idols."

"Uh... No problem! But... what exactly did I do?"

"It was sometime in the 4400s... You and Suzu came to this place and talked to the last remaining Clay Idol. Scientists had taken the others away. You two listened to his story and, while you didn't know whether to believe him, you offered to help if his story proved to be true. I don't know what happened after that... You two took him with you, and I feared the worst. Soon after, though, all of the Clay Idols returned... they said that you defeated the human that captured them and let them go. On Origin's request, one of the Clay Idols left for Miguel to thank you."

"Origin?!" the three of us chorus.

"Yes. It seems that Klarth, even though he had been dead for about two hundred years by then, left Origin with a request... He was sent to make sure Arche wasn't slacking off."

"Uh-huh..." I turn my gaze to Arche. "So Klarth had to keep an eye on you even two hundred years after he died? Slacker..."

"Hey, shut up!" Arche yells. "Besides, I became a hero for these Clay Idols, right? And Klarth, why would you send Origin to do something like that?!"

"Because you were probably slacking off and acting carelessly," the summoner mutters.

"Hey! That's mean!"

"I have some power for each of you," Gnome speaks up. "Are you ready to accept it?"

"Yeah," Klarth says for all of us.

Almost immediately after, I feel power surge in me as another vision comes into my head...

"What's wrong, Cless?" Klarth's voice asks. We're in an inn from the looks of it, and it feels really cold. Klarth is busy trying to warm himself up while Cless is standing there, staring off into space.

"Huh?" The swordsman—Cless—realizes that Klarth's talking to him. "Um... Nothing... I think I'll go for a walk..."

"Me too!" Arche's voice pipes up.

"Ah, no, I'll be fine by myself." With that, Cless runs out the door.

"What's his problem..." mutters Arche.

"Even Cless' going out in this horrible cold. How nice, to be so young..." Klarth observes.

"Stop talking like an old geezer. You're not even thirty yet!" Arche points out. Heh, this seems a little backwards...

"Hehe..." After a minute of silence, Klarth continues, "We have a little bit of time, what to do..." He seems to get an idea.

"What's up?"

"Just a bit of mischief..." I see the green light of his summoning circle. "Origin!" The young boy slowly fades into existence, where it awaits Klarth's orders. "Origin. You can show events of the past and future, right?"

"Yes... by using the Sword of Time. Looking into the future is forbidden. I can, however, show you a small part of the past."

"Through hypnosis?" Arche questions. Silence.

"No matter how you plead, I'll do this for you once," Origin says. "This is a special favor."

"Just once, huh? ...Sorry. Could you please leave the room for a minute?" He seems to be talking to me and Arche...

"Why?"

"Just go!"

"What's up with everybody today?!" Arche demands, but we leave the room. We go to where the lobby is, near the proprietor's desk. I stare at Arche. I must've known what she was planning back then... I feel like I should now... "What are you looking at, Chester?"

"You're planning on spying on those two, aren't you," I answer in the memory. "I wonder about you sometimes."

"What do you mean?!"

"What do you mean 'what do you mean'?!"

"You and I have completely opposite personalities, don't we?"

"Isn't that as it should be?"

"Why do you always lash out?"

"I lash out?! You've been on my case since I first saw you!" I yell.

"Since you first saw me...?" Arche repeats, giving this tremendous consideration.

"Don't read anything into that," I tell her.

"Let's go outside."

"I'm fine."

"No you're not. Come on!" She grabs the white cloth that falls behind me along with my hair and starts dragging me out backwards. We leave the cabin and enter the snow...

Suddenly I'm standing in the Cavern of Spirits again. I glance sideways at Arche, who seems to be coming out of her memory as well. The Clay Idols are watching all of us intensely, no doubt wondering what we're doing. Gnome isn't there anymore... he must be with Klarth.

"So then," Klarth speaks up, "shall we head to Volt?" Arche asks the Clay Idols to escort us out, which they gladly do. With them by our sides, no monsters even try attacking us. It's a nice change of pace... They take us to the entrance, where we bid them farewell and head towards Miguel. We decided to stop by to see if Suzu's come yet.

As we enter the town, Lynn notices us from where she and Ami are standing at the bridge. "Chester-san, Klarth! What a surprise!"

"Onii-chan! Welcome home!" I smile. It feels so nice to hear that...

"Hello, Lynn," greets Klarth. "We ran into your younger brother earlier."

"Oh really?" she says, but she doesn't sound that interested. "Who's the girl?"

"My name's Arche Klaine!"

"...Can I talk to you for a minute, Klaine-san?"

"Just call me Arche! And sure," the witch says and the two girls walk towards my house. What are they talking about...?

"Onii-chan, what brings you back so soon? And who are these people...?"

"I missed some things around here last time," I attempt to explain in simple terms. "And this is Klarth—he's one of my teachers and a companion on my journey."

"Hello," Klarth says. "You must be Chester's little sister... Ami, correct?"

"Yep!"

"And the girl with pink hair is Arche, an old friend of mine and another companion on the journey."

"Why aren't you traveling with Cless-san anymore?"

"He has somewhere else he has to go," I answer with a shrug. "Anyway, we're waiting for someone else to join us... she's a girl about your age with brown hair... She's a ninja."

"Ehhh? About my age?!" Looking hopeful, Ami asks, "Onii-chan, can I come, too?"

"No! It's too dangerous! Especially if you can't fight!"

"You and Cless-san could teach me..."

Suddenly I'm reminded of that dream... when me and Cless were kids... "It's too dangerous for you to join us now... but when we return home, we can teach you how to fight... So you can defend yourself as you get older." She'll at least need to know how to do that... I won't be able to watch over her all the time.

"Promise?" She asks as her face lights up.

"Promise. Now be a good girl and stay here for me."

"Okay!" My sister cheers happily, and soon Arche and Lynn return.

"Hey, do you guys mind if we rest here for a little bit?" Arche asks. "It's about lunch time anyway, and Lynn offered to make us something."

"I don't see why not. We need to wait for Suzu anyway," Klarth points out. We go into my house, where I pull some extra chairs over to give everyone a spot at the table. Soon enough, Lynn and Ami serve us all spaghetti. We eat and joke around, and Lynn and Ami inquire about our travels. We tell them the basics about getting the summon spirits and our power. Klarth even brings out Sylph for Lynn and Ami to meet, which makes my sister really happy. Sylph is just as Klarth described—very kind but shy, so they're quiet most of the time.

"So the person you're waiting for is a Hero of Space-Time, like you three?" Lynn inquires after a while.

"Yeah. She's the ninja... her name's Suzu Fujibayashi," Klarth answers.

Lynn smiles kindly. "You know, Klarth, I must say I'm surprised! I never would've expected you to be a hero! It's said that the Heroes of Space-Time have gained powers passed down from the gods..."

"Only really the summon spirits and the Eternal Sword," says Klarth.

"But it's said that the Heroes can transcend time and space... that is the power of Thor. And the Eternal Sword is made from the swords of Odin and Fenrir."

...I don't remember any of the gods, but something tells me that's not the kind of thing I want to ask about too plainly... "I... don't really remember much. Could you please tell me some about the gods?" I ask after considering my words.

Lynn's kind smile turns to me as her eyes catch mine. "That's right, you have amnesia, correct? There are four gods: Fenrir, Odin, Thor, and Martel, though Martel isn't always included... she's the spirit that protects Yggdrasil. The other three, Fenrir, Odin, and Thor, once fought for hundreds of years... During that time, there were three countries, each named after the god they worshiped. Eventually those three countries died out due to war, leaving only traces such as the Fenrir temple and the lost city of Thor. The Heroes of Space-Time used a machine in Thor to travel through time until they got the Eternal Sword, and they gained powers from Fenrir and Odin as well. And as Klarth said, the summon spirits each have strong powers... some have called them lesser gods before."

"Odin, god of wisdom; Thor, god of thunder and war; and Fenrir the wolf... There are many stories in our history about them, and much of our literature is based off of them," Klarth adds.

A wolf, huh? Heh, that reminds me of that green-eyed wolf that helped me escape from the rebels... I wonder what ever happened to it...

After a while, we decided that we should get Volt before it gets too late in the evening.

"It'll be pretty late after you get Volt," Lynn points out. "Why don't you come back here to rest?"

"That would probably be best, especially since the rest of the summons are pretty far away," agrees the summoner.

"So you'll be back tonight, Onii-chan?"

"Yeah."

"Promise?"

"Yeah, I promise," I tell my little sister, who smiles happily.

"Well then, shall we get going?" We turn and begin to exit the village.

"Chester-san, wait," Lynn says, and I turn around questioningly. "...Can I talk to you for a second?"

"Sure thing."

"We'll wait here."

I follow Lynn back to my house, leaving Ami with Arche and Klarth. "Is something wrong?" I ask.

"Your sister really looks up to you... she's been so worried with you traveling around, especially since you were supposedly dead once."

Oh... I guess I never really thought about how Ami feels about this... But... "I need to keep going, though. There's so much I still need to find out... about the knights, about Cless, about my past... about the Heroes of Space-Time..."

"I know. I'm not trying to discourage you from traveling," she says. "Just be careful, okay? Don't push yourself too much..."

"Don't worry, I'll be fine."

After a moment's pause, Lynn reaches into a pocket in her black skirt. She pulls out a long white string connected to a grey talisman and holds it out towards me. "Here... it's a protective charm. I'm sure it'll help you when you need it..."

I reach out and she places the necklace in my hand. She closes her fingers around it and my hand as she stares at me, that kind smile still on her face. "Come back safely."

"T-thanks..."

A loud rapping on the door grabs my attention and I draw my hand away as I hurry to the door. "Hurry up!" calls Arche. "What's taking you so long?"

I swing the door open. "As if _you_ haven't taken forever!" I snap.

"...Why's your face all red?"

"It is not!" Even as I say that, I can feel heat building up on my face. I push my way past the annoying witch and run to the north exit, where Klarth and Ami are talking.

"Hey, Chester. ...What happened? You're all red!"

"I am not! Let's just go!"

"Where'd Arche go?"

Huh? She didn't follow me? Oh, here she comes... She storms straight past us, her face full of rage. She doesn't bother to say anything—she just keeps stomping right past us.

Something warm touches my shoulder; I turn to find Lynn withdrawing her hand. "I didn't upset her, did I?"

"Huh? What would you have done to upset her?" I don't understand girls sometimes...

"It's... nothing to worry about. Well, good luck to all of you with Volt."

We leave Miguel to the west, where we go around some cliffs and follow the rocky base. Arche glares at me and makes it obvious that she's angry at me, but I don't even know why. I don't dare ask her, though... she looks like she'll bite my head off if I try. I hang back and put the talisman on, letting it fall under my clothes. While walking, Klarth falls back next to me and mutters, "So what happened between you, Lynn, and Arche?"

"Beats me. Lynn had something she wanted to give me, and Arche came in saying I was taking too long. I left, and next thing I know she's angry at me! Honestly, she makes no sense!" I try to keep my voice down so the half elf can't hear.

Klarth sighs. "I think I know the problem..."

"What is it?"

"Let's just say you're the point of a triangle."

"Huh? What do you mean? Triangles have three points..." I feel stupid saying that, but I don't understand what he's talking about...

"...You really don't understand, do you?"

"Understand what?"

"Arche's angry because you were having some alone time with Lynn."

"Why would she care?"

"Hey!" Arche calls back to us, stubborn angriness covering her face. "Hurry up you slowpokes, or we'll never get to Volt's Cave!" We hurry to catch up to her, where we're forced to drop our conversation. I still don't know what Klarth was getting at...

On our hike, we pass a large mansion. We consider stopping by, but Klarth points out that it's unsafe to stop somewhere we don't know as long as I'm wanted. Just past the mansion, we find Volt's Cave.

Inside there's a sign straight ahead, but it's too worn out to read anymore. There's a path to the right, and just on the other side of it is a sharp drop into what looks to be an endless abyss.

"Watch your step," Arche says as she hops on her broom. We follow the path, but it soon comes to a fork: straight and to the right. The path to the right leads outside, to a bright canyon; we go that way. It's pretty quiet out here, except the sound of birds in the far-off distance... Hey, I think I recognize this from one of my memories... Well, the memories of my past life, that is... I think this is where we met Suzu...

We walk through the area, to where an opening leads back into the cave. We walk that way.

"Wait!" We spin around and look up to find the owner of the voice. On the cliffs stands a young ninja girl in red... Suzu! "Sensei... Give me the Eternal Sword!"

**Arche gained the title of Clay Idol ****Idol****. It is a title given to the hero of the Clay Idols.**

**Arche has received the disgraceful title of Slacker. With a little nudge in the right direction, someone with this title can redeem herself.**

**Chester gained the title of Protective Brother. I won't let anything happen to my little sister!**

**Chester gained the title of Dense. It is a title given to someone who doesn't even realize he's in the middle of a love triangle...**

**Chester learned Sonic Bash.**

**Klarth can ****now ****summon Gnome.**

**Arche learned Glaive.**


	14. Fenrir's Chosen

**--****Fenrir's Chosen****--**

"Sensei... Give me the Eternal Sword!" Suzu glares down at the summoner.

"W-what?! But I don't have the Eternal Sword—I left it with Origin!"

"Suzu-chan! What are you..."

"Crow Blade!" Suzu jumps up in the air, unsheathing her daggers as she does so. As she comes down on Klarth, she's spinning—he tries to back up, but one of her daggers digs into his shoulder. Klarth falls to the ground, grabbing his shoulder, while Arche and I watch in horror.

"Klarth! Suzu!"

"Suzu-chan, what are you doing?!"

"Give me the Eternal Sword!" Suzu repeats.

"I don't have it!" Klarth argues, holding his wound as blood gushes out over his hand.

"It's sticking out of your pack," Suzu says as she points.

What?! That mysterious sword... the one we found by Klarth in Treantwood... _That's_ the Eternal Sword?! But how...

Klarth struggles to get his bag off, which he pulls around so he can see it. He pulls out the sword and stares at it, shock on his face. "You're saying that this... is the Eternal Sword...?"

"Don't pretend you don't know! Now hand it over!" Suzu commands as she prepares for another attack.

"Suzu, wait!" Klarth calls out, but the ninja charges forward.

"Glaive!" Arche yells; spikes charge up from the ground, knocking Suzu off balance without hurting her. She jumps back and steadies herself, glaring at us.

"Arche, I have no reason to fight you. If you allow him to keep that sword, then..."

"Klarth wouldn't try to hurt anyone!" I argue. "Even if that is the Eternal Sword, we're going to protect it! We're Heroes of Space-Time, just like you!"

She's still eyeing the sword... The ninja brings her daggers up and jumps into the air again, charging at Klarth. Sorry Suzu... I pull an arrow out and take aim at her left arm...

A black blur charges into Suzu, knocking her to the ground. The green-eyed wolf is on top of her, growling at her—I run over and grab its fur, trying to pull it off. "Let her go!" Something on my chest grows warm—the charm? The wolf looks up at me before trotting away. It sits down, keeping a diligent eye on Suzu. The ninja tries to hide it, but she's wincing from her wounds.

"Suzu, are you okay?" Klarth asks as he walks over, still holding the sword.

"Of course I am!" she snaps. "A ninja never feels pain!"

We all stare at Suzu as she bites her lip and tries not to show us how much pain she's in. Uh... huh. She probably still has some wounds from the other night...

"Suzu-chan... you can say that you're hurt, you know," Arche says as she walks over to the young girl. "What happened to you before, anyway?"

Suzu resumes glaring at Klarth. "You went behind our backs... and got Origin and the Eternal Sword!"

"I don't know what you're talking about. I left them in Treantwood."

"Origin's in the Diamond Ring, isn't he?" the ninja asks.

"I'm telling you he's not there. Look, I'll get the ring out..." He reaches into his pockets and pulls out a handful of rings. He begins sorting through them, trying to find the diamond ring. After a pause, he closes his right hand around the rings and begins searching his pockets with his left. "That's odd, did I put it in the bag?" The summoner mutters as he returns the rings to his pockets and starts searching the bag. That's a big bag, too... I don't know how he plans on finding one ring in that bag...

Klarth is now tossing things out of the bag, making a large pile of junk around his legs. He opens other compartments of the bag and searches those as well. After searching the whole thing, he stares up at us at a complete loss. "I don't have it... The Diamond Ring's gone!"

"If you don't have it... then who does...?" Arche asks.

"And where's Origin?" Suzu adds. Everyone falls silent, contemplating this.

"Suzu..." Klarth says suddenly. "We think you're a Hero of Space-Time."

"I am."

"We are, too! You should join us, Suzu-chan! We'll get our powers back together!" offers Arche.

Suzu glares at Klarth. "...I don't trust all of you."

"I don't understand, you used to love Klarth-sensei's class!"

"If you don't want to join us, you don't have to... but you could also see it as a way to protect the Eternal Sword and make sure Klarth doesn't do anything bad with it." Glancing at Klarth, I quickly add, "Not that I think you would..."

"That means a lot coming from the guy who wants to kill his best friend," Klarth says sincerely.

"Hey, that's a different matter!"

"It seems the same to me. He's a Hero of Space-Time as well, and someone you used to trust with your life."

"And look at where that got me..."

"Do you remember what really happened at that time?" Klarth asks. After a long pause, he continues, "My point exactly."

"So, Suzu-chan, what'll it be?"

"...I'll come, but only to make sure the Eternal Sword isn't used for evil," the ninja agrees.

Klarth breathes easily. "Now, about that wolf..." Oh yeah! I turn around to find the wolf still sitting there, watching us. "Chester, is this the wolf that helped you before as well?"

"Yeah, it is."

"Aww, she's a cute little wolf!" Arche exclaims.

"You have a strange definition of 'cute'..." Whoa, sudden déjà'vu. Didn't I say that to her before...? Anyway, I need to make sure to thank the wolf this time... Since it's saved me twice, it probably understands human language, right...? Okay, so it seems a little odd... but still... I walk over to it and hold my hands out for it to sniff. The creature nuzzles my hand, licking my bare fingers with its wet tongue. "Thank you," I whisper to it. "Thank you for helping me..."

_"My name is Fenrir,"_ a woman's voice murmurs. _"I'm putting my trust in you... Please, bring Martel back..."_

"Martel?!" Didn't Klarth say that she disappeared along with the Mana Seed? "Where is she?"

_"Ask the angels..."_ The wolf draws away and walks towards the entrance of Volt's Cave.

"Wait!" I call out, but the wolf merges with the darkness and vanishes.

"What was that about?" Arche asks. I guess she's not mad at me anymore... She makes no sense.

"Didn't you hear what she said?"

"Uh... Chester, wolves don't talk."

"That wasn't just any wolf!" I counter. "That was Fenrir... did _none_ of you hear her?!" They all shake their heads. Great, I'm alone on this... "She said her name was Fenrir and she asked me to bring Martel back."

"Uh-huh..." Arche stares at me, disbelieving. "You're not sick again, are you?"

"I'm telling you, that was Fenrir! She spoke to me!"

"Did she say where Martel is?" Klarth asks as he packs his bag back up. Whew, I'm glad _someone_ believes me!

"No... she said to ask the angels."

Arche bursts out laughing. "Right, right! And let me guess, she also said to make Tethe'alla and Sylvarant one moon!" the witch says sarcastically.

"Tethe'alla and Sylvarant?" I ask the summoner.

Klarth stops packing to point to the sky. "The two moons."

I scowl at Arche. "Fine, don't believe me. You'll see eventually..."

With everything back in his bag, Klarth stands up and throws the bag over his shoulder. "Shall we head on to Volt, then? We can't do anything more about Fenrir, whether true or false, until we find these angels she spoke of..."

So even he doesn't fully believe me... oh well, he's right about not being able to do anything yet... We finally head further into the cave.

Inside we find what looks to be an electric generator with a light bulb. Klarth begins studying it while Suzu studies the locked door. "It needs energy..." mutters Klarth as he thinks about how to get through this puzzle. Arche and I walk through the vicinity of the generator, towards the door. "I'm going to try something," the researcher speaks up. "Everyone stay back." With that warning, Arche and I run to the door while Klarth puts on the Sorcerer's Ring. Wait, but that shoots out fire... how will fire give electrical energy?

Fire shoots from the ring and the generator charges with electricity. ...Okay, that just defied logic. The light bulb lights up for a few seconds before it turns off again, and I hear something near me slam closed. The door...!

We all realize it at the same time. "All right, I'll use the ring again and we'll run through," Klarth says. "On the count of three... One... two... three!" The light bulb shines again, but I only see it out of the corner of my eyes as I turn and run through the door. Everyone else makes it through as well... we head right and down a long set of stairs. Here the path curves to the left, and we see two open doors: one straight ahead and one to the left. We head straight to find a dead end with a switch on the floor. Klarth carefully steps on the switch, and we hear something click. We head out of this area and through the other door.

The path goes straight until it reaches yet another door, where more path curves off to the right. We go through the door only to find that it leads to a dead end outside. We return to the cave and take the path this time.

The path also leads outside, but this area is much larger and has two options for continuing: straight or right. We head right, which takes us back inside the dark cave. There's another generator inside, between us and another locked door. We hurry over to the door, and at it, Klarth readies the Sorcerer's Ring. Seeing that everyone's ready, I nod and Klarth uses the ring. The door swings open and we hurry through it—monsters! They were waiting for us... There are two giant flies, a skeleton with an overly large sword and a shield, and what looks to be a human mage... He has long, brown hair and a black bandana. His shirt and pants are both green with a black shawl, matching his shoes. His staff is white with a large blue crystal on the end.

I point my bow up and shoot at the flies overhead while the two magic users charge up their spells. Suzu lunges at the mage, driving her daggers into his clothes.

"Cyclone!" Arche yells and a tornado of wind surrounds one of the flies, catching the skeleton in its radius. The giant fly spins around in the wind before slamming against the side of the cavern, while the skeleton looks to have lost quite a few bones. I take down the other giant fly with two more arrows.

"Come, Gnome!" I see something pop up from the ground... It's definitely Gnome, but the worm shapes from before seem to have turned in to missiles! The pieces of Gnome shoot up in the air before raining down on the skeleton, exploding on impact. Suzu continues to fight the mage.

"Suzu, stand back!" I call out as I run forward and jump into the air. Suzu jumps backwards, giving me room. "Sonic Bash!" I shoot an arrow, but it's surrounded by a grey energy... as it hits the ground, boulders erupt upwards, burying the mage.

"While we're in the area, we should probably take Suzu to the Cavern of Spirits," Klarth points out.

We head down another set of stairs... why is it that these caverns always go down? On the next level, we find ourselves in a large rectangular room. The only other door out is right next to the stairs, surrounded by torches.

The next area is large... there are three directions to go from the start: right, left, and straight.

"If I'm correct, we need to go straight... however, it looks like there's a locked door that way." Klarth's right. The door at the end has purple dots with a line connecting them, like all of the other locked doors... "Let's try left first."

The left path leads to a dead end with a generator and a switch on the wall. We decide to try the generator first, though it's pretty far from the door... Klarth shoots the fire and we set off at a run. The door's open—I run through the opening and stop just before hitting the wall. Suzu's already standing there, waiting... how'd she get here so quickly? Arche makes it through next, followed by Klarth—the door closes right behind him. With everyone together, we start down the path, taking the first door on the left.

This room is even larger, with chasms into endless darkness surrounding our large platform. There's a sign that reads "Emergency Exit" next to a weird marking on the floor... it has many old runes all over it...

"Chester, don't touch that. It's a warp portal, and I think it'll take you back to the opening of the cave," the summoner explains. I jump away from it.

"So what are we gonna do about three generators?" Arche asks.

"We'll have to be quick to hit all three," the ninja says.

"Quick, eh?" My eyes fall on the youngest of the group. "A ninja could pull that off, right?"

"Of course."

"Will you open the door for us, then, Suzu?" Klarth questions as he holds the Sorcerer's Ring out to her. After a moment's pause, Suzu accepts the ring. She walks over to the farthest generator while the rest of us congregate near the door.

Fire shoots—she hits one and immediately spins around to hit the other. She jumps up and soars through the air as she aims and fires at the third—the door opens up. We run through and look back, waiting for the ninja to join us. The doors close.

"Suzu-chan!"

"I'm right here." We spin around to find the young girl standing behind us. Wow, she's fast...! And how'd she get behind us?!

We're outside again, but now we're standing on a high cliff... wait a sec! We've been going _down_ this whole time! How'd we get up so high?! This cave just broke _all_ logic...

The path is narrow, so we move very carefully along it. At the end is a larger area with a lone, dead tree... The tree seems to be shining, though... is that electricity? Yes, it is... the tree's covered in lightning!

Some of the lighting comes out of the tree, forming a large ball with eyes. The creature stares at us and says something, though it sounds more like its talking gibberish...

"Hey Chester, do you understand it?" Arche asks.

"No, why would I?"

"You though you heard the wolf talking earlier..."

I glare at the pink haired girl, who grins wildly. "Why you...!"

"I can't understand Volt, either..." Klarth mutters. "Oh well, I have a pact with him still, right? So let's see, which ring is it... Sardonyx, right?" He holds out his right hand with a ring that has a crimson jewel on it. The electricity of Volt zaps forcefully into the ring. That looked dangerous... Is Klarth okay?!

I can't tell anymore... I'm seeing memories again, not the cliff...

We're at a large house from the looks of it... it's broad daylight...

"Still here..." mutters Klarth. "Honestly, I didn't want to come here."

"What ever happened to her after everything that's happened?" a girl asks.

"At any rate, somebody might be here. Let's pay her a visit." That sounds like Cless...

I turn to look at the half elf next to me. "Hey, Arche. Everyone looks so gloomy... Did something happen in the past?"

"Um, well, yeah..." answers Arche. "But I was a statue at the time, so I don't really know what happened."

"Huh?!"

"What do the two of you think you're doing? I'm going on ahead," Cless calls back.

"Hey, wait!" Turning back to me, Arche says, "Um, so that's about the size of it!"

...That's _not_ an explanation. "Hey, wait!"

Cless knocks on the door to the house. "Hello?"

Silence. Someone from inside calls, "Yes?" before opening the door. Standing on the other side is an elf with long, aqua hair.

"Lord Brambert!"

"Oh it's you! It's been a long time. How has it been, anyway..." He pauses as he realizes something. "...How is it that you're still alive?"

The area around me fades and is replaced by the inside of a house—another memory? No, the elf—Brambert—is still here... There's also something made of stone here...

"Arsia... Is that you?"

Arsia? Who's that?

"...I think this is her final answer. The first thing I realized, she was as you see her. I believe she became a statue in my place..." Brambert says sadly.

"How horrible..."

"When I look at this statue, I can almost... I can almost tell what she wanted to say..." The room grows quiet, which is broken by Brambert speaking again: "Also, I found this bow at my feet."

"This bow, it's..."

"A bow? It's Chester's!"

"It is!"

"Hey, Cless! What about my bow?" I run over to the elf, who hands the bow to me. "Wow... I can't believe it! I can feel the power just holding it in my hands!"

"I... This bow taught me the depth of the pain she has been suffering. Here it is, at long last. I will return the bow to you in her place..."

The room disappears and I'm surrounded by clouds again, standing on the cliff. Cold, metallic hands grab my arms and pull them behind my back. I turn my head to see knights seizing all of us—one has the Eternal Sword! He's a large, muscular man with curly red hair. His ruby eyes dance with excitement as he stares at the sword. He's wearing less armor than the rest of the group, though still a considerable amount. Attached to his back is a large, silver hammer; it looks too big for someone to wield...

"Curt!" Klarth exclaims, surprised. "W-what are you doing?!" Curt... so this is Lynn and Auoun's brother, right?

"It's been a while, Klarth. I'm ashamed to see you working with _rebels_... But don't worry, I can do an old friend a favor and ask the king to spare your life," the gruff man says.

Klarth struggles, trying to get away from the knights that hold him. "Don't hurt them!"

"The elder girl's a half elf, right?" Curt continues, ignoring his old friend. "And a Hero of Space-Time... someone like her could really help in the research labs. Plus she's really pretty... maybe if I ask the king nicely..."

"Ew! Dream on, you ugly, overgrown buffoon!" Arche yells as she tries to get out of the knights' hold on her.

"Why you...!" The man pulls his hammer off of his back, holding it in his right hand and the Eternal Sword in his left, and the other knights start panicking.

"Uh... S-sir!" one calls, grabbing Curt's attention. "What should we do with these two?" They're indicating to me and Suzu... Wait, I thought they wanted me!

"Kill them. They're of no use to me."

"But the king wanted Barklight alive...!"

"What's the point of dragging him around Aselia? He's going to die anyway—the king just wants to let him watch his sister die first."

_What?!_ No! "I won't let you hurt Ami!"

"Shut up!" Curt swings his hammer into my ribs—ugh! L-lightning?! My body... it feels like sharp electricity's charging through it...

_"No, Chester!"_ Who's that...? _"Stop! __Demon Fang!"_

I feel numb... I don't know where the ground is anymore... The cliff is ahead of me, getting smaller and smaller... Suzu's coming towards me, though she looks like she's falling... am I falling, too...? No... I can't die here... Ami... Klarth... Arche...

**Chester gained the title of Fenrir's Chosen. It is a title given to the ****one who the wolf god Fenrir has chosen to watch over**

**Chester gained the title of Crazy Narrator. It is a title given by Arche.**

**Suzu gained the title of Sonic Speed. No one's faster than a ninja!**

**Chester learned Thunder Blitz.**

**Klarth can now summon Volt.**

**Arche learned Thunder Blade.**

**Suzu learned Merciless Thunder.**

**Suzu has joined the party.**

**Klarth has left the party.**

**Arche has left the party.**


	15. Dreamer

I just got Tales of the Abyss! I'm so happy! So it had to get a mention in this chapter!

**Disclaimer: ****Hey look! Something different! ****Uh...****I do not own Tales of Phantasia, Tales of Symphonia, or Tales of the Abyss. ****(Okay, so I only added one... It's still different...) ****They're**** owned by Namco.**

**--Dreamer--**

"Hey, Chester, wake up! We're gonna be late!"

I slowly open my eyes and glance around at the messy room. "What time is it...?"

"Eleven fifty-five," answers Cless, who's busy stuffing his laptop in his bag. "Sorry, I overslept!"

"Idiot... I woke up after you," I mutter as I throw my blankets off and climb out of my bed. I snatch a school uniform out of my dresser and hurry to the bathroom, where I quickly brush my teeth and change. When I reenter the dorm room, Cless hands my bag to me. We leave the room and Cless locks the door.

"Race ya there!" I say as I set off at a run, and Cless quickly catches up with me. We race down the stairs leading outside and along the sidewalk that leads to class. He pushes ahead of me and slams through the door into the building; we push our way through the crowd in the hallway, to the familiar large brown doors.

Arriving, we both stop and Cless silently opens the door, trying not to create a disturbance. Lester-sensei is already talking, his back turned to the door as he writes something on the board. We quietly hurry up to where Mint, Arche, and Suzu are already sitting, near the front right of the classroom. We take the two seats behind them and get out our laptops, breathing heavily after our run. Maybe Lester-sensei won't notice...

"...we've managed to make a rough one based on the biggest recorded events," Lester-sensei says. He puts down the chalk and turns around. "Also, these next few days are an important part of our history, so it'd be best if you aren't late for class this week." He stares directly at me and Cless. Oh... he noticed...

"Now then," continues our teacher, "the best way to study the Heroes of Space-Time is not studying time chronologically, but studying it in the order they traveled. Year 4304,"—he points to the year on the timeline—"when the Demon King was released from his seal. That day was also the day that Toltus—what we now know as Miguel—was destroyed. The Swordsman of Space-Time, the Healer of Space-Time, and the Archer of Space-Time tried to stop the Demon King, but he could only be hurt by magic. The swordsman and the healer left for the past to find two historical figures and magic users, while the archer stalled the Demon King long enough for them to return. They traveled back about one hundred years, to the year 4202,"—he draws an arrow to show us—"where a war against the Demon King and his demons was about to take place. Here they found..."

A chat invitation pops up on my laptop. I join it to find Cless, Arche, Mint, and Suzu also in the chat.

"Heehee... Lester-sensei seems really excited about this, don't'cha think?" Arche types.

"It's an interesting subject. To think that they traveled to the past and the future!" comes Cless' message.

"I wish we could go back in time. Things were so much more exciting back then!" I type and press enter.

"Yeah, for once I actually agree with you," Arche sends. Soon after, she types up another message: "Have you heard about the class Lester-sensei will be teaching next semester?"

"Is it another history class?" asks Cless.

"Nope! It's a fighting class!"

"No way!"

"Really?"

"A fighting class...? But what if you can't fight?" Heh, that's just like Mint...

"You'll learn to fight!" answers our informer.

"This class is the prerequisite," Suzu types. "The only reason I'm in this class is to join in his next class and learn more about the fighting style and magic of people outside of Japoni along with honing my own skills."

"Will we have to use a specific weapon?" I hope not...

"Nope! It's a general, so while you won't get specific techniques with any weapon, you'll learn more about survival, monster weaknesses, and be able to defend yourself with or without a weapon," the half elf explains. "I'll also get to practice controlling my magic!"

"Is there more information on it?" my best friend questions.

"Yeah, it's in Lester-sensei's class website."

I glance at Cless' screen as he pulls up an internet page. He types in the address and begins surfing the page for more information. Noticing that I was watching, he turns the computer so that I can see as well. He finds the page and we begin reading about it. It basically says what Arche told us... Huh? Permission form? I point to that and Cless clicks on it. ...Oh, those under age eighteen have to get their parents to sign this form...

Cless tells the others that information in the chat room.

"So those who are eighteen do not need to get it signed?" Mint inquires. As they talk, I pull up the form on my screen to read through it.

"That's right."

"Oh good, I'll be eighteen by then!"

"I'm sure Dad will sign it for me," Cless says.

"You mean he wouldn't insist that you only learn from his dojo?"

"It'll be a good chance to learn more about the monsters around here, so I'm sure he'll approve."

"Heehee, it shouldn't be hard for me to get permission, either!" I stare at the pink-haired girl in front of me as she types this, who looks quite happy.

"As I said before, that class is my only reason for being in this one."

"That's great! So then we'll all be in the class together!" My friend is grinning happily... he kinda forgot one thing, though...

"...So who will sign it for me?"

"What do you mean, Chester? Will your parents not sign it?" That's right, the girls don't know I'm an orphan... I've worked hard to take care of myself and my sister, so I never had a guardian, either... If the school or anything needs contact information, I usually give them the names of Mr. and Mrs. Alvein... but somehow I don't think that'll work for something like this...

"Oh... right..." Cless considers my dilemma before typing: "I'm sure we could talk to Lester-sensei about it."

"The education system's controlled by the castle. If they said that students need permission from their parents for this class, they won't make exceptions."

"Are you an orphan?" Suzu may be quiet, but she always catches on to things quickest...

"Yeah. I don't have a parent or guardian."

"Talk to Lester-sensei about it. He'll know what to do!" suggests the pink haired girl. I stare at the screen of her computer and watch as she switches tabs. She seems to be playing some sort of game...

"Arche, what are you playing?" I type.

"Arche-chan, you're playing a game? Shouldn't you be paying attention to Lester-sensei?"

"Don't worry, Mint! He'll never know!" She's so careless... "I'm playing Tales of the Abyss!"

"Never heard of it. What's it about?"

"Dunno yet, I just started. Do you want me to send it to you? I'm playing it on an emulator, so I can send you that as well!"

"Sure."

"Cless, Mint, Suzu-chan, do any of you want it as well?"

"Uh... I guess..." Mint looks a little nervous.

"You don't have to play it during class," Arche types as I notice a message pop up that says that Arche wants to send me something. I accept the transfer.

"Will you send it to me as well?" Cless' message says.

"Okay! Suzu-chan, do you want it?"

"I don't have time for games."

"...the six heroes set off to fight the Demon King," Lester-sensei continues his lecture, oblivious to our conversation. "They found his castle near Arlee, hidden in time. They used the Eternal Sword to pull the castle out of its hiding spot and enter it. Inside, they fought their way to the Demon King, where they battled him for the final time. They defeated the Demon King, but soon after there was a large power seen coming from Yggdrasil, leading into the sky. Recent evidence suggests that Martel, the guardian of Yggdrasil, sent a seed full of mana—a Mana Seed—into the sky. Martel disappeared that day as well. No one knows what happened to the Heroes of Space-Time after that, but some believe that three of them rebuilt the town of Miguel."

"Wait, so they save the world and no one knows what happened to them?" I type out to my friends, breaking the silence in our conversation. "What kind of ending is _that_?"

"I guess they lived a happy life..."

"Still, you'd think that if they're the heroes that beat the Demon King, they'd make themselves be more known!" Arche points out.

"Not everyone wants fame," argues my best friend.

"It doesn't end there," Suzu says. "There are rumors that the Heroes of Space-Time have been reborn and are living among us."

"Really?!"

"I hope I get to meet them!"

"Clear off your desk, close your laptops, and get out a pencil," Lester-sensei booms to the class. "You have a quiz."

The whole class moans, but we do as he says. I turn off my computer and put it in my backpack, getting out a pencil.

"But Lester-sensei, we just learned this today..."

"If you did the reading, you should do fine on this test," the teacher says as he begins passing it out. "It's multiple choice. You may write on this sheet. When you're done, bring this up here and you can leave."

Lester-sensei hands me a stack of papers. I take the bottom one and hand the stack on to Cless. A pop quiz... figures...

_What year are the Swordsman, Healer, and Archer from?_ That was... 4304, right?

_Who did the Swordsman and the Healer go to the past to get?_ Uh... Let's see... _(A) The Ninja and the Summoner, (B) The Witch and the Summoner, (C) __The__ Warlock and the Ninja, (D) The Summoner and the Archer._ Well, definitely not D... The Demon King was weak to magic, right? So it would be B...

_How did the four in the past return to save the Archer?_ The Eternal Sword, right? That's C! ...Wait. No, that wasn't it... I don't think they found the Eternal Sword then... or did they? No, I think they found it later... _(A) A time machine in the lost city of Thor, (B) A spell created by Edward D. Morrison, (C) Using the Eternal Sword, (D) Using the summon Origin._ Which is it if not C...? ...I want to say A, but that seems odd... Oh well, might as well go with it. Geez, now I wish I had done the reading... or at least listened during class... And that transfer didn't even finish...

_After the Heroes confront the Demon King on their return to the year 4304, where does the Demon King run off to?_ You mean they fought him a few times? Uh... _(A) Arlee, (B) The year 4202, (C) The year 4404, (D) The year 4354._ Well, not A or B. So then... let's try D. I see Mint and Suzu get up to turn their quizzes in.

_How did magic return to the world? (A) The Healer healed Yggdrasil, (B) The Summoner gave all of his energy to the summon spirits, (C) The Swordsman used the Eternal Sword to restore magic, (D) The elves returned magic to its original state._ ...I have no clue. Let's go with A. I'm probably doing horrible on this quiz... Arche's now turning hers in...

_What year is the Ninja from? __(A) 4202, (B) 4204, (C) 4304, (D) 4354._ When did the ninja join the group? I guess D... It must've been pretty neat for them to travel through time like they did... Cless turns his quiz in.

_Where was the Demon King's final castle hidden? __(A) Near Midgard, (B) Near Miguel, (C) Near Arlee, (D) Near Alvanista._ I haven't guessed C yet, let's try that.

_Bonus: What happened to the Heroes of Space-Time after beating the Demon King?_ This one I know! Maybe I can get a few points back! No one knows what happened to the Heroes... but they might've rebuilt Miguel... Rumor has it that they have been reborn... There. Time to turn it in.

I take the quiz up to the front and put it on the stack of turned-in quizzes. There are only a few people still taking it... I sit back down in my seat and wait for them to finish. I might as well talk to Lester-sensei now about the form...

After the last person leaves, I get up and walk to where the teacher's sitting. "Sensei, can I talk to you?"

"Of course. What do you need?"

"It's about the class you're starting next semester... the fighting class."

"Ah, so you're interested in that? What sort of weapon do you want to use?"

"Bow and arrows... but I don't know if I'll be able to join."

"Why's that?"

"I don't have anyone that can sign the form for me," I explain. "I'm an orphan, and I don't have a guardian."

"Hm... interesting, I didn't expect that when making the form..." Lester-sensei leans back in his chair as he thinks about this.

A knock on the door resonates throughout the room only a second before it opens. A man enters; he's large and muscular, with curly red hair and ruby eyes. He wears armor, though only the minimum amount, and in his arms he holds a stack of books. "Hey, Klarth, Auoun asked me to bring these to you."

"Ah, Curt! Perfect timing! Thank you for bringing those, could you put them on the table?" The man does so before staring at me questioningly. "Thanks. Curt, this is one of my students, Chester Barklight. Chester, this is Curt Gimli, the captain of the royal knights."

"P-pleased to meet you!" I stammer, nervous. I've never met someone of such high standing before...!

"He'd like to join the fighting class I'll have for next semester, but there's a problem with the form..." Lester-sensei explains the situation to the knight captain, who continues staring at me.

"...Fine, I'll allow it. Since it has to go into a record, give me a form." Lester-sensei hands Gimli-san a form and a pen. Gimli-san draws a line through the part where a parent or guardian is supposed to sign and signs his name under the change to show that it has his approval. He shoves the sheet and the pen at me. "Fill out the rest."

"Thank you very much!" I say as I begin filling it out. This is great, I'll be able to go to this class with the rest of my friends! And Cless and I can continue training together, just like back at home!

"Did I bring everything?"

"Yes, this is perfect. Please give your brother my thanks."

"Yeah, yeah. Next time use someone else for your delivery boy. And tell Auoun the same!"

Lester-sensei chuckles. "All right. Thanks again, Curt." The captain of the knights leaves the room.

When I finish filling out the form, I hand it to my teacher. "Thank you, Lester-sensei."

"No problem. Is the rest of your group going to be there?"

"Yeah. Cless is the only one in question, but he'll most likely be there."

"Good... I was planning on leaving the groups the same unless there are members missing or the group is not well-rounded."

"We'll be fighting in teams?"

"Yes. Teamwork is very valuable... you will learn how to use your individual strengths to work together. Anyway, while you're here, how do you think you did on the quiz?"

"I'm... not sure..." I answer truthfully, trying to hide the fact that I guessed on most of the questions. I feel something cutting into my right arm... it hurts... what's going on? I move my sleeve back to see some sort of... runes sketched into my arm... Where'd that come from?!

Lester-sensei notices. "That's...!" He vanishes right before my eyes.

"Sensei! Sensei!" I yell, but nothing happens. Where'd he go...?

I run out into the hall—it's dark, and there's no one around. The doors behind me slam closed; I spin around and try to open them, but they won't budge. What's going on here...?!

Something behind me starts growling—I spin around to find myself face-to-face with a black wolf, its green eyes glaring at me. I try backing up, but the door's in my way. The wolf slowly advances...

I push myself off of the door and run as fast as I can to the left. I take the first turn and keep running. I hear it chasing me—it's getting closer! There's a classroom! Please be open...

The door swings open and I rush in, slamming the door closed behind me. I hold it closed, expecting the wolf to bang on it... but I hear nothing. Am I safe...?

Arms reach around me, grabbing my shoulders and locking around my chest. Who is this?! "Chester..." a female voice whispers. "Don't forget your promise..."

"Promise? What promise? And who are you?"

"Oh, you know..." The doors swing open, but this time I don't see any hallway. Instead, I see my little sister smiling up at me in the darkness. "You'll be back tonight, right, Onii-chan?"

The person behinds me lets go as I walk forwards, towards Ami.

"Chester, don't go!" a new voice calls. I spin around to find there are two women standing there—Arche and Lynn.

"Your sister needs you," Lynn says, her voice kind.

"Don't fall to them! Come back, before it's too late!" Arche calls, but... something doesn't seem right... That _can't_ be Arche!

"Who are you? You're not Arche!"

"No... but Arche's in danger," the fake says calmly.

"Your sister's the one in danger!" argues the other woman.

What do I do...? What's going on here?! Ami, Arche, Lynn... What are they even doing here?!

"Chester, don't lose yourself! Don't forget the present as well!" the imposter-Arche yells as she begins fading.

Arche... is she really in danger...?

"Chester!" Lynn calls out.

No... I don't know what to do...! I run to the left, towards the other door in the classroom. I open it up and charge through.

I'm in another dark hallway, but this isn't the hallway of that building I was in... This is... the dorms?! How'd I get here?! Never mind that... I need to find Cless! That sound... the wolf again?! Oh no... I run to my dorm and hurry through, closing the door behind me.

The room is just the way we left it... good. Cless is here, doing something on his laptop. He stares at me as I breathe heavily, confused.

"Chester... are you okay?"

"Cless, there's something strange going on here! There's a black wolf with green eyes, and Lynn and Arche and Ami... and the doors keep changing where they lead... and Klarth disappeared!"

"Slow down a little, you're talking too fast!"

"We have to find the others and get out of here before that wolf finds us!" Something starts scratching at the door. I turn to stare at it... the wolf is growling on the other side. I take a few steps back. "Cless... We're in trouble..."

"No we aren't." I turn around to ask him what he means to see a sword headed straight for my face—I move back and duck out of the way—the sword jams into the door, right next to my head. "Cless...!"

Cless pulls the sword out of the door and swings it at my head—I stumble out of the way and towards the back of the small room. There's no where to run! Cless slowly advances, holding his sword up... The wolf is now banging on the door...

"C-Cless, wait! Why are you doing this...?!" He doesn't answer—he raises his sword up. "Cless!" I hold up my arms in defense—the sword cuts through my right arm, sending a sharp pain through my body. I draw my arm back towards me as red blood spills all over the place. The symbols that were on my arm... they're ruined... Cless doesn't even blink as he pulls his sword back to prepare for a stab. I dodge to the right and start running to the door—I don't hear the wolf anymore! Did it leave? Oh well, it's my only chance—I burst open the door.

The hall's empty, the wolf is gone... Cless is still slowly walking towards me, though, his sword drawn. I bolt down the hall, towards the exit. Outside, I practically jump down the stairs in my hurry and I keep running. At some point, I finally stop to rest at a tree. What's going on around here...?

...Hey wait, when did the campus turn into a forest? This looks like... Treantwood?!

"You did good..." a voice says. Who's that? I hide in the bushes and look around for the source of the voice. I see something... no, two people... but they're hidden in the darkness, and behind trees... they already seem to be looking around, so I can't move to see them better... One person holds a hand out. "Hurry and hand it over. No, not that... the other one." The shadow of another hand reaches out, handing something to the first... but I can't see what... "This is perfect... they'll never guess that there's a traitor among them... Please continue to spy on them for us."

A traitor? And among who?!

Everything's disappearing... the forest, the two people... No! Who are they?!

"Don't worry, everything will be okay... Just bring back Martel... and watch who you trust, there are many who are trying to play with your mind..." Who is that...? A soft female voice... Fenrir? "Yes, that is me. Someone was already trying to show you false... Beware the human who plays with high level magic... That one is trying to lead you down the wrong path..." The black wolf now sits in front of me, but this one seems kind... This is the real Fenrir, right...?

"Fenrir... you showed me this for a reason, right? Who's the traitor?"

"It's—"

"Meteor Storm!" Meteors crash down around us, not hitting me, but hitting Fenrir; the wolf disappears, leaving me alone in the darkness.

"Fenrir!" I feel a warm hand grab my left arm and pull me back, towards warm light.

**Chester gained the title of Dreamer. These strange visions... what are they? What's true and what's false?**


	16. Innocent Victim

**--****Innocent Victim****--**

Ow, my arm hurts... That was a dream, right...? But my right arm... it's still bleeding... and the pendant on my chest feels warm... Suzu's lying nearby... I start to crawl over to her, but my arm can't support me... I push myself up with my left arm, stumbling to my feet. My whole body aches... The cliff is pretty high, and it's rocky down here... I don't know how we managed to survive... I fall to my knees near Suzu, but I was only trying to get over here anyway... I nudge the ninja, trying to wake her up. "Suzu... Suzu! Suzu, wake up!" Oh no, she's not waking... this isn't good! She's still alive, right...? "Suzu!" I'm in no condition to carry her back to a city... I don't even know if I'll make it back on my own with monsters around...

"You're awake," a soft voice says. I spin around to find the Sylph twins watching me, holding a sword between the two of them. The Eternal Sword...! "Klarth asked us to bring this to you. You woke up just in time. His power can't sustain us this far away any longer..." The girls disappear, dropping the sword to the ground. I stand up again and walk over to the sword, carefully picking it up. That's right... Klarth and Arche were taken away by those knights... He must've sent the sword to us to keep it away from Curt... Huh? The ground is covered with broken arrows... they must've fallen out while I was falling... Oh no! My bow... it's broken, too! I wonder if it can be repaired... I set the Eternal Sword against a rock, along with my quiver. I put the pieces of my bow inside the quiver and start gathering up the arrows that aren't damaged too badly... which isn't many...

There... those are all in my quiver... Suzu's still asleep... What am I going to do now? All I have to defend us is the Eternal Sword, and I can't wield that _and_ carry Suzu... I don't know if Suzu's still alive, but... I'm scared to find out...

Something whines nearby. Oh no, a monster?! I grab the Eternal Sword and spin around, trying to hold the sword up in defense. I'm having to force my right arm... my hand can barely grab the hilt... there's no way I can fight left-handed!

The creature slowly ambles towards us. It looks like a very large, weird dog... Its fur is white with mint green splotches all over it: starting between his eyes and going up to the messy fur on his head; covering the tips of his long ears; a large mane around his neck; a band around each leg, just below the elbow; a V-shape on his back; and covering the end of his tail, like a fox. His ears are long and pointy, more like that of a rabbit, and his eyes are small and purple. What exactly _is_ it?! I try to get a better grip on the sword, but it only feels like my grip weakened.

The creature walks over to Suzu. "N-no! Stay away from her!" It doesn't listen. "I said stay back!" I force my feet forwards, trying to run at the creature. I swing at it, but it easily dodges, and I fall. I strained my body a little too much... The creature walks back over and I try to bring the sword up again. I feel so weak... And Klarth, Arche, and Ami are in danger...

The creature nudges Suzu with its nose, and then begins licking her face. Huh? It's not here... to hurt us...? I let the sword fall to my side. The creature continues nudging Suzu, trying to make her wake up. I walk over and pick up the young girl, saying, "Let's get her to safety." I place her on the creature's back and he begins walking. I throw my quiver on my back and attach the sheath of the sword to my belt before following. I keep the sword unsheathed both to help me balance at times and to be ready when monsters attack... I really hope they don't come...

We make our way out of the mountains, where I see the manor we passed earlier. The creature walks that way, and I gladly follow it. It might be dangerous... but I can't walk all the way back to Miguel... The creature begins scratching on the door, which soon opens.

Morrison is standing in the doorway. "Chester! Suzu! I'm glad you're okay... Colette's been searching all over for you." Patting the creature on the head he says, "Noishe, great job. Come on, hurry in." He moves out of the way and Noishe trots in, while I stumble behind him. Morrison quickly closes the door behind us. "Raine's upstairs... go see her about your injuries. Genis, Regal! We have two more!"

Morrison collects Suzu in his arms as I sheathe the sword. We slowly walk upstairs, where we enter the last room on the right. "Noishe found them!" Morrison announces as he enters the room. I enter behind him to see that Raine already has one patient: Klarth.

"K-Klarth!"

"Chester! Suzu!" There are two beds in here, and Klarth's sitting on one of them. Morrison lays Suzu down in the other bed, and I take a seat next to Klarth. Raine is busy using her healing powers.

"Where's Arche?"

"She chased after them."

"What?! Why?!"

"Because they have Ami."

No! Ami! "Where'd they go?!"

"I don't know, but you're in no condition to follow them. Neither am I... the best I could do was send Maxwell to help..."

Raine moves on to heal Suzu without a word.

"How'd you escape?"

"Well, after you and Suzu fell, I sent Sylph after you with the Eternal Sword, as you probably found," Klarth explains. "Curt got angry about that, and they made it so neither Arche nor I could use any spells. While we were passing by Miguel, some of the knights went in to grab Ami... but instead, Miguel Alvein and the rebels came out to fight. They managed to get us out of there... but I think Ami came to help as well. Curt seized her and ran, and Arche followed after him. Knowing it wasn't save in the town, the rebels brought me here... Maxwell should return soon with news on Arche..."

Regal, Morrison, and Genis soon enter with food and water. "Here you go!" Genis says as he hurries to hand each of us a plate with spaghetti. "We let Colette know that you're here, so she's on her way back."

"We don't need everyone in here at once," Raine comments sternly. "We need to give these three some room."

"I can help heal as well," Regal says as he walks over to me and begins concentrating on a spell.

"Is there anything you need Genis or me to get while we're here?"

"Some orange gels would be nice," says the main healer.

"Okay!" Genis runs out of the room, tripping as he does so. Morrison helps him up, and they leave.

"Heal!" I feel a little better, though I'm still aching... Raine's using a lot of heals on Suzu, so many that she's sweating.

Genis returns with a bundle of orange gels. "Raine, another healer's here to help!"

A young woman walks in behind Genis. It's Mint...! Instead of a crown, she now wears a white hat with a small, purple plus symbol. Her dress is white, outlined in gold with short sleeves. The neck of the outline is high, yet very wide, and in the front of it is golden metal to guard her neck. On her dress is another purple plus, but this one is much larger and outlined in gold. There are four purple jewels; two on her shoulders and two just below that, next to the bottom of the neck guard. The top dress—there are actually two—is split into four parts around her waist: two parts in the front and two in the back, all falling to her feet and outlined in gold. Her gloves are pure white, and the part of them around her arm is bulky; in her right hand she carries a long, white staff with a golden orb on top. The under dress—also white—falls to just above her boots, which are white and gold underneath, where they fold over. "What can I do to help?"

"The princess?!" Raine exclaims, surprised. Instead of answering, Mint begins preparing a spell to finish healing him.

"She came here for help with something," Genis explains. "Morrison's calling the rest of the group up to meet us here."

Raine stares like she can't believe her ears. "You need _our_ help? You do realize that we're rebels, right?"

"...Yes. Nurse!" A ball of green-ish light appears just below the actual lights in the room, and from it come what look to be three angels with first aid kits. One comes to me, one to Klarth, and one to Suzu, where they use their magic to heal us before vanishing into thin air. Wow... that really healed me... I feel a lot better now! Though there's still a scar on my arm... but I can move it and close my fist without hurting now!

"That was amazing!" Colette exclaims; I didn't even see her come in!

"I've never seen you use that skill before," Klarth says.

"Meryl Adnade..." Mint mutters before turning to us with determined eyes. "What can you tell me about her?"

Klarth and I exchanged worried glances; from that reaction, Mint's most likely the Healer of Time... who Meryl asked us not to tell about her existence! Uh... whoops.

"We told you everything we know. Why?"

"On my way to find you, I went to the Cavern of Spirits... where I underwent the same procedure Arche-chan's been telling me about, gaining a new power and seeing a vision that never happened. That only happens to a Hero of Space-Time, right? And if I'm the Healer, then that means..."

"Here," Klarth holds out his hand, curled up like he's holding something. Mint walks over and takes it—the earring that Meryl told us to deliver.

"If Meryl's my mother... then that means I'm not the real princess, right...?"

"That's right," answers our teacher. "You were adopted."

"How long have you known?"

"Ever since they brought you. I was a kid at the time, so I didn't fully understand what was going on... but I saw the knights deliver you to the king, just a baby. They hid you for about a week, until the late prince was born."

"Still... Father—I mean, the king, has taken care of me like a daughter... I know he's not really a bad person."

"There's something much larger going on here, from the looks of things," says the ninja, who's now sitting up.

"Suzu! You're all right!" exclaims Klarth.

"They didn't get away with the Eternal Sword?"

"No, Klarth sent Sylph to give it to us when we got separated," I explain.

Suzu stares down at the bed. "To... protect it...?"

"Yes."

"Then why..." She stops there, thinking.

"Why what?"

"Sensei, you don't have a twin brother by any chance, do you?"

"Huh?! I... No, I don't." He doesn't meet our eyes for a second... Is there something he doesn't want to tell us? "Why?"

"Because in Treantwood... I could've sworn I saw you take Origin and the Eternal Sword... and attack me."

"I didn't do that. I'd never use the summon spirits to hurt people, and like I said before, I left Origin and the Eternal Sword in Treantwood..."

"Do you think someone was trying to set you up?" I offer.

"I don't know, but this really troubles me..." the summoner mutters, "especially with the diamond ring missing. ...So I guess that's why you attacked me at Volt's Cave?"

"Yes."

Maxwell takes this moment to come through the wall. I didn't know summon spirits could do that!

"Welcome back," Klarth says. "Where's Arche?"

"The rest of the rebels are bringing her. We didn't manage to get Ami back, though... Thor made sure of that."

"Thor?!"

"Thor, Fenrir, and Odin seem to be stepping in on this battle... whether for better or for worse," replies the spirit. After he finishes speaking, a knock sounds throughout the manor. Maxwell disappears into one of Klarth's rings as we hear the commotion of people entering downstairs.

"I don't like the sound of this," Klarth mutters. "It's fine fighting the king, but _gods_? I don't even know if our full power would be enough for that."

"Relax," I tell him. "Fenrir's on my side." ...That's right, and she was trying to warn me about a traitor... and about Cless... but who's the traitor...? Who can I trust?

"Shall we go downstairs? I have something I'd like to talk to everyone about," Mint says, and we all get up. Downstairs, we find the rest of the rebels, including Cless, and Arche. Most people are standing in the living room, though a few, such as Zelos, Lloyd, and Colette, are sitting. Mint and Cless both pause when they see each other, staring.

"M-Mint!"

"Cless-san... You're okay..." Mint hurries down to him, and Cless averts his eyes.

"Mint... I'm sorry for leaving so suddenly..."

"No, it's fine. You were kidnapped, right? Are these the people who kidnapped you?"

Why is everyone so calm about Cless being kidnapped? It's not meant to be a vacation!

"Chester! Suzu-chan!" Arche exclaims. "You're..." She seems to be at a loss of words.

I grin and say, "Oh come on, do you really think a cliff's going to kill us?"

"That's right, I should've known your thick skull would break rocks before it shatters."

"What was that?!" Couldn't she at least _pretend_ to have been worried?!

"Well, Princess? You requested an audience with us?" Kratos points out.

"Yes. I'm afraid my news isn't good though... I ask for all of you to help. You see—"

Someone knocks on the door and we all freeze. Morrison quickly goes to it and eases it open so that whoever is there cannot see the rest of us.

"This is the home of the rebels, is it not?" Wait, I recognize that voice... Lynn?!

"Who are you?"

"I saw you save Klarth and Arche-san. Please, will you help me save a girl from Miguel?"

She must mean Ami...! I run to the door and pull it open. "Lynn!"

"Chester-san! Ami... Ami's been taken!"

"I know. Morrison, can she come in?"

"It'll be dangerous..."

"I'll be fine as long as Chester-san's there," Lynn says with a smile on her face. Morrison moves out of the way to let her in, and she walks to the living room where everyone else is. There she bows and says, "My name is Lynn Gimli."

"I am Mint," the princess says, and following her introductions go around the room. There's one empty couch... I take a seat.

"Hey, Chester, why are you using a sword?" Cless asks, and I look down. I completely forgot I still had the Eternal Sword strapped on!

"My bow broke, and I needed some way of protecting myself. I don't suppose I can get another bow before we head into danger?"

Morrison nods. "Yeah, it'll be better for you to have a weapon you're proficient in."

Cless chuckles. "He's trained with me enough that he could probably use a sword pretty well if he had to... but Chester doesn't like swords that much."

Again with people I don't like knowing more about me than I know! Cless is a Hero of Space-Time, too... When I learned that, I thought maybe I didn't know the full truth... but Fenrir was trying to tell me that he's dangerous, right...? She was telling me I shouldn't trust him... I wonder if he was the traitor she was talking about...

"Chester-san, may I sit here as well?" Lynn asks politely. She's always so polite... _completely_ opposite of Arche!

"Sure." As she sits down on my right, I feel my face grow a little hot... I hope I'm not turning red... That'd be embarrassing...

Someone plops down on my left—Arche?! She looks angry about something... Noticing me staring, she snaps, "I wanted to sit, and this was the only open spot."

"Whatever. You don't have to get so mad about it."

"Of course I do! I have to sit next to you!"

"Why you...!"

"Chester-san," Lynn says as she grabs my hand. "Please calm down..." Now I _know_ my face is red... I look down to try to hide it...

"Now this just isn't fair," complains Zelos. "Why can't I be sitting in between two gorgeous hunnies?!" He's sitting next to Lloyd... and Colette's on the opposite side of Lloyd...

"I told you, you have bad taste in women. Ow!" Arche hit me over the head! "Hey, what was that for?!"

"Hmph!" Oh right, I guess that was a direct hit to her as well. Heh, not that I mind!

...Hey wait a sec, where's Sheena? I don't see her anywhere... she's not here...

"If you're all done squabbling, Princess Mint still has some news for us," Kratos barks. Everyone turns to the princess.

"Thank you, Kratos-san. As I was saying before... things have turned dangerous. In these past few days, I have seen more trouble at the castle than I ever knew existed. I spied on knights leaving, disguised as bandits. I've heard rumors of innocent people dying in the basement... and of dangerous experiments being carried out on humans."

"Dangerous experiments? Like what?" questions Cless.

"No one knows the details, but they think that more than just protection charms and analyze checks are done on those who enter the castle."

"Yeah... I'm afraid that's not even half of it," the knight says quietly.

"What do you mean?" Arche asks.

"Well, for example... There's a curse placed on knights..." He thinks about how to word his next sentence. "It... keeps us from telling these things, actually..."

"Like a silencing curse?" inquires Kratos.

"Yeah, sort of..."

Wait, that letter! "Klarth, can I see that letter again?"

"Oh, sure." He pulls the letter out of his pocket and passes it to me.

I scan through it... Ah, here it is! "This must be it... 'I can't even write what I saw because if I try, I'll die here.' Is that because of the curse?"

"May I see that letter?" Cless asks as he walks over; I hand it to him and he reads it. "...Yes, that's exactly the reason... Where'd you get this letter from?"

"Milard found it in the castle."

Cless pauses, staring at it. "...I see..." The way he's looking at it... that letter isn't new to him... Ah!

"Cless, did _you_ write that?!"

"Yeah. This was my promise to you, Chester. To you and all of the people who died that day..."

Cless wrote that letter... _He's_ the one trying to expose the wrongdoings of the knights?! He's doing it for me, too... Then why did Fenrir tell me to be wary of him...? I don't understand...

"So I guess you can't tell us about any of these other curses without dying, then?" inquires Kratos.

"Sorry..."

"There must be some way to get rid of the curse..." Raine thinks. "Maybe if Mint and I used Refresh..."

"A friend already tried everything she could to get rid of it. I'm afraid we'll have to find the one who placed it on me for that... Still, I can live with that one, as long as I watch what I say."

"Are there more curses on you, or can you not tell us?" Klarth questions.

"...I know there's at least one more. That one's even more dangerous."

"Klarth-sensei," Arche speaks up, "you're a researcher at the castle, right? Do you have any curses on you?"

"Well, I can't really talk about the research that goes on there, though my consequences aren't as bad... Other than that, no."

"Mint?"

"None on me. I wouldn't be able to believe that the king was my father if he put curses on me."

"You mean the king isn't your real father?" Oh yeah, Lloyd and most of the others here weren't there for that announcement.

"No. I was adopted... So I suppose they could've placed some enchantments on me when I was a baby, but I haven't noticed anything in eighteen years."

"...Mint, you said something about innocent people being killed in the castle?"

"I'm not fully sure, but that's what I've heard..."

"Cless, was I involved in that?"

"I can't speak of it."

"I take that as a 'yes'."

Cless smiles at me. "Chester... if you had your memory back, you'd already know exactly what it was about, and..."

"And?"

"I don't know if I can say anymore..."

That's an annoying curse. How are we supposed to learn anything if the only one who knows what's going on can't speak?!

"Then maybe we can get Chester-san's memory back there," Mint says. "Ami-chan, Milard-san, and the rebel known as Sheena have all been arrested... Please, will you help me save them?"

Everyone quickly agrees, and Mint begins formulating a plan. "I can get you into the castle through the underground subway. Once inside, though, I will be able to do nothing more than act as a guide and heal you when you need it... They're most likely all in the dungeon, but I suspect that Father is expecting you to come rescue them..."

"While we're there, we should definitely get Chester's memory back. He and I will go there and then get Ami on our way back," Cless says.

"I'm going to be in a group with you?"

"Do you want your memory back or not?"

"...Fine." He has a point...

"May I come with the two of you as well? I want to save Ami, and I'll feel safest with Chester-san..." Lynn speaks up.

"Sure, that's fine with me," I tell her with a smile.

"I'm going with you guys as well!" Arche yells in my ear.

"What's _with_ you today?! Why are you always so angry?!"

"I am _not_ always angry!"

"You've been angry all day!"

"Have not!"

"Have to!"

"Cless, they're in your group," Klarth says. "I'm not babysitting anymore."

"Hey! What do you mean by that?!" Arche and I both yell, which cause us to glare at each other. I'd rather _not_ say the same thing at the same time as her!

"This will be a good chance for us to confront the king. Lloyd, Colette, and Zelos will accompany me for that," Kratos says.

"Whoa, wait a minute! You want _me_ there to confront the king?" protests Zelos.

"Are you backing out on what you came here to do?"

"Well, no..."

"Good. I'll expect you three to be in my group, then."

"I'm coming with you," Morrison says.

"May I come as well?" asks Klarth, and I catch his eye. He probably wants to see what the rebels are really up to...

"Yeah. The more support we can get, the better."

"So that leaves me, Presea, Raine, Genis, and Suzu," Regal points out. "If Cless' group can act as a decoy while they get Chester's memories back, then we can get the prisoner's out."

"Yes, that might be best. Cless, will you lead the decoy group?"

Cless pauses, not liking this... but he agrees. "If we're going to be the decoy group, then I must request some explosives. I know some of the best places to place them to get in the way of the knights."

"Just please don't destroy the whole castle..." says Mint.

"Don't worry, I won't. Only the places that will damage the knights."

"I can supply you with all the items you need," agrees Morrison. "Cless, come with me."

"All right. Chester, will you come as well?"

I stand up and start to follow the two, only to find Lynn and Arche following as well.

"May we come, since we're part of the group as well?"

"Yeah, that'd probably be best."

Morrison takes us to a room in the back, where he shows us what items he has. He has smoke bombs, time bombs, radars, walkie-talkies, weapons of all sorts... He hands Cless a bag, who begins packing many smoke bombs and a few time bombs. When he's done, he holds the bag out to me. "Chester, you'll be in charge of this."

"Me?"

"Please."

"Maybe it'd be best if I take it," Lynn speaks up. "I won't be doing any fighting, so it wouldn't get in my way."

"Fair point... Very well, then. We'll trust you with this, Lynn-san." Cless hands the bag to her, and she takes it and straps it over her shoulder.

"Each group leader and Mint will have a radar and walkie-talkie," Morrison says as he grabs three of each; Cless grabs on of each and straps the radar watch on his wrist.

"Chester, can you use one of the bows here?"

I look at the bows, playing with them to judge their quality, until I find the best one for me. "I'll take this one. Do you have any arrows?"

"In the crate."

I fill my quiver up with arrows, discarding the damaged arrows that wouldn't fly straight. I'll keep the Eternal Sword with me... I still don't know if I trust Cless enough to give it to him...

The pendant Lynn gave me grows warm again. Why does it do that sometimes?

_"It's because of me,"_ a soft voice says in my head. Fenrir! She's okay!

_"A meteor storm like that couldn't hurt me, only delay me."_

How are you talking to me...?

_"That pendant has my symbol on it. Your friend was right about it being a protective charm."_

So that's why it heats up... Hey, Fenrir, what were you saying before, about a traitor?

_"There is a traitor among you... Keep the Eternal Sword close by or he will take it and present it to the king."_

Are you talking about Cless?

"Chester, come on, let's go!" Arche yells, and the warmth of the pendant fades.

"R-right." I follow her out of the room and back to where everyone else is.

"We're going to add Noishe to your team," Kratos tells us when we reenter the sitting room.

"Noishe?" Cless asks.

"Yeah, he's my dog!" explains Lloyd. "You probably saw him outside... he's the one that found Chester and Suzu."

"You'll probably get the most resistance, and Noishe is a strong creature. He can help you fight and get out in a hurry, especially since you'll be planting explosives," Lloyd's father says. "Multiple people can ride on him, plus you have Arche's broom for a quick escape."

"Now we just need a plan for getting in..."

Mint lays a map down on the coffee table, and everyone huddles over it. "We'll be entering through the west side of the castle, over here. The prison is on the east side—two groups will be going that way. However, this middle section that they'll have to pass through will be full of guards."

"So it's our job to take care of that, huh?" Cless thinks about this. "All right, we'll use Arche's magic and Chester's archery skills to break them apart. They'll probably try to stop us, so if the area ahead gets too hard to pass through, everyone grab a hold of me. I can get us through there."

"Our top priority is getting the prisoners out," continues the princess. "In order to assure that victory, we'll send the group to talk with the king next. That'll split the guards down the middle. The decoy group must try to knock out as many guards as possible for the escape group, which will come last."

"Sounds like a good plan," says Regal. "We should probably wait until nightfall."

Nightfall? But if we do that, the traitor will have time to tell the king about our plan! But who can I trust to help me find the traitor? Or should I try to find him by myself...?

"All right, everyone can do what they want for the day. Meet back here by eleven tonight."

Are they really that trusting?! Geez... I guess I'm on my own, then.

**Chester gained the title of Weapons Master. It is a title given to one who is proficient in multiple weapons.**

**Mint gained the title of Healer of Space-Time. It is a title reserved for the Hero of Space-Time gifted with divine magic.**

**Mint gained the title of Adopted Princess. She's not the real princess, but that doesn't matter—all that matters is doing what is right for her people.**

**Cless has received the title of Cursed Man. It is a hard life for one who has so many dangerous curses cast upon him...**

**Chester gained the title of Innocent Victim. It is a title given to o****ne who was almost killed by the crimes inside the castle**

**Suzu left the party.**


	17. Tactless Man

**I kinda... went back and added this chapter after I started what ****chapter 19 (now chapter 20), so if I missed something in future chapters and this seems a little out of place... That's why.**

**Welcome back from vacation, Starry-chan!**

**Thank you, ****Xantos****, for the idea for Chester's title! And for the description of it!**

**And thank you, ptilol, for posting the translation of the Lemon Gumi on youtube (even though you're probably not reading this...)! The credit for the English translation of that goes to ptilol.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of Phantasia, Tales of Symphonia, or Viva! Tales of! ...If you haven'****t seen Viva Tales of****, it's pretty good. The Apple Gumi one has the Phantasia characters!**** Anyway, they're all owned by Namco.**

**--****Tactless Man****--**

Most of the people head for Miguel, so I follow them. I'll keep an eye on Cless for the day... he's most likely the traitor. He doesn't seem to mind—he welcomes me along with him, Mint, Arche, Suzu, Klarth, and Lynn. Mint glances around the small town with wide eyes before turning back to Cless. "So this is Miguel... It's a nice little town!"

Cless smiles kindly at the woman. "Would you like me to show you around?"

"That'd be nice, thank you, Cless-san," Mint says, a soft smile on her face as well. Now I understand... they obviously love each other. Hm, if they're going to go off alone, I can't watch Cless...

"Excuse us," Cless says as he and Mint begin walking off.

"Have fun on your date!" Arche calls out, making both of the blondes stop and turn around, their faces equally red.

"W-wait! It's not like that..." stammers Cless.

Arche walks over to them, a mischievous grin planted on her face. She really makes me wonder... "Are you saying you don't want to go on a date with Mint?"

"H-hold on! That's not what I... I mean... um..." Cless glances around nervously, at a loss of words. Heh, it's kinda amusing to watch.

Lynn brushes past Arche. "I think that's really sweet. Why don't we make it a double date?"

"Eh? You have a boyfriend, Lynn?" Arche asks, surprised.

"I thought maybe Chester would like to come." Lynn turns to me questioningly. That face she's making is really cute...

"S-sure." Lynn gins and walks over to me. She grabs my hand and drags me over to the group. Wait, what did I just sign up for? Maybe I should've thought about this a little more... But this way I can keep an eye on Cless, right? And Lynn's a nice girl...

"Make that a triple date!" Arche yells as loud as she can—why is she so angry?!

"Who are you bringing, Arche-san?" Lynn asks.

Arche pauses.

"It better not be Zelos," I say.

"It's not!"

Why is it taking her so long to think?

"It's... it's..." She looks around frantically. I really don't understand her... Why'd she make it a triple date if she doesn't have anyone to bring? "I'm bringing Klarth!"

"Whoa, hold on a minute," Klarth says, suddenly brought into this conversation. "You can't just drag me into this."

"It wasn't even a date to start with..." Cless mutters, trying to calm everyone down.

Arche's face puffs up angrily. "You, come here!" She drags Klarth off to the side, where they talk quietly about something... Why doesn't she just give up? He doesn't want to go...

After a moment, they return. Klarth's face looks a little pink... "All right, I'm coming on this thing, too," he says. She must've bribed him...! That little trickster... she's not one to trust at all! She still looks angry, though... what's she so upset about?

Lynn smiles down at our last companion. "Would you like to bring someone as well?"

"No..." Suzu says. "I'll go find some of the others. Excuse me." She jumps on the roof of the closest building and disappears on the other side. She's really fast...!

My date turns back to the rest of the group. "So then, where shall we go?"

"I was just going to show Mint around..."

"This'll be fun. Why don't you take us to the best areas of the town, Cless-san?" Mint asks kindly.

"Okay..." He turns and begins walking, his red cape flowing behind him. So we're basically the same group we started as, only Suzu isn't here... what was the point of that again? The swordsman leads us up to the bridge first, where we all stop and look over the edge. I find myself in between Lynn and Arche.

"Wow! The water's so clear!" Mint exclaims.

"Chester and I used to play in it all the time! It's a really old bridge... It's stood ever since this town was first built, even though all of the bricks have been replaced numerous times to keep it from falling..."

"It's a lovely bridge."

"Yes... when you hear of Miguel, the first two things people think of is the destruction and reconstruction of it and the bridge," the teacher says.

"Maybe for a history teacher..." Arche mutters dryly. "Hey, Cless! Are there any romantic tales about this bridge?"

"Tales...?"

"You know, superstitions. Like if you kiss someone here, you'll marry them or something!"

"Well, nothing quite like that..."

"How boring!"

"But there is one thing about this my father told me..." Cless continues. "There was once a fortune teller who held a test here, and it's said that she keeps testing all of those who pass on this bridge."

"What kind of test...?" Arche asks, intrigued.

"It's only for those who have done anything immoral recently. If they walk on this bridge after committing some kind of crime or trickery, something bad will happen to them unless they gain the gratitude of enough people in five minutes."

"What?!"

"I guess that'd mean you," I quip to the witch.

"Hm, maybe you should learn about the village legends _before_ you go around pulling tricks..." Klarth agrees.

"Shaddup! What kind of legend is that, anyway?!"

"You might want to hurry, you have four minutes left!" I tease. Heh, she's getting flustered! Now _this_ is fun!

"Don't worry, Arche," Cless says. "It's probably just one of those tales parents tell their kids so they won't do anything bad!" Aww, I was having fun teasing her...

"R-right! Anyway, we should get going!" She still looks a little nervous... "Where to next?"

"Um, well... This is really the main part of the town... There's the dojo, where I live, Chester's house, the church, shops, a few restaurants, a movie theater... That's really about it..."

"Why don't we go shopping, then?" Mint suggests, and the other girls quickly agree; Klarth, Cless, and I exchange exasperated glances. Lynn leads the way off of the bridge and towards the southern part of the village, where the shops are. Arche spots a clothing shop and heads straight for that, the rest of us tagging behind her. The girls begin looking at clothes, picking things out... are we going to have to wait for them to try stuff on? Geez... that's no fun...

With their clothes in their arms, each girl enters a dressing room.

"I can't believe I'm being dragged along on something like this..." mutters Klarth.

"No kidding... I just wanted to show Mint around... What'd Arche get so upset about?"

"Beats me... that girl's so hard to understand," I say.

"Neither of you know?"

"Know what?"

"Chester, you're the one in the middle of it..." Before Klarth has a chance to explain, Lynn comes out of her dressing room.

She's wearing a cute, green lacy top that has sleeves on the side of her arms. It is decorated with yellow embroidery, which looks sorta like a vine pattern. Her short skirt is pure black with a black ribbon on it. It's a cute outfit...

"How does this look?" she asks, glancing at me with nervous emerald eyes.

"It looks wonderful," I answer honestly. "You should buy it."

"You really think so?"

"Of course."

"Thank you, Chester-san. You're really kind." She smiles kindly at me.

Arche's door opens next, and she comes out in a white sundress with light blue triangles all over it. She grins wildly as she says, "Isn't it cute?"

I suppose it is, but Lynn's outfit is a lot nicer... I'm not sure that that dress really fits Arche that well... None of us answer.

"Well?!" she demands, glaring straight at me. Why me? I'm not her date! ...Hey wait, where did Klarth go?! He's not here anymore...

"It looks nice, Arche!" Cless says, making the witch beam.

"Hee hee... What do you think, Chester?"

"It's nice, but it doesn't really fit you." ...Wait, that came out wrong. Arche's face puffs up in anger as she spins around and storms back into the changing room, slamming the door behind her. She didn't have to get that mad... I said it was nice...

"Ch-Chester..." mutters the swordsman.

"What?!"

"Ah, well..."

The last door opens up and Mint comes out, her face a little rosy. She's wearing a white shirt with a long, light blue skirt. Both are embroidered around the edges with pink. "Um... How does this look...?" she asks shyly.

"It's beautiful," says Cless.

"Yeah, it really fits you," I agree.

"It's a nice outfit," inputs Lynn.

"Oh, is that what you got, Lynn-san? It's a cute outfit!"

"Thank you! I guess I should change back so I can buy it!"

"Where's Arche-chan?" the princess asks. "I would like to see what she tried on!"

"Um, well... Chester kinda upset her..."

"I didn't say anything that bad!"

"Where's Lester-sensei?" Mint, Cless, and Lynn suddenly notice the summoner's absence.

"Beats me."

"Should we look for him?" We glance around the store, where we're surrounded by clothes...

"I'm back here," Klarth's voice says. We follow it around a rack of clothes to where the summoner is sitting in a chair. "I needed to sit."

"Is everything okay? You look a little pale..." Now that Mint mentions it, he _does_...

"Yeah, I'm fine. My head was hurting a second ago, but it's gone now." He stands up. "Are you two going to buy those outfits?"

"Yes. Why don't you guys decide where we should go next?" Lynn asks as she and Mint retreat into the changing rooms. Arche comes back out of hers, wearing her normal clothes.

"Where do you want to go next, Lester-sensei?" Cless asks.

"Why don't you two decide? I'm not even supposed to be here anyway..."

"All right, then what about you, Chester?"

"I don't care."

Arche rolls her eyes. "Boys are so indecisive..."

"Do you have something in mind, Arche?"

"Why don't we go to the movies?" she suggests.

"Yeah, that sounds like fun! Let's see what's playing when Mint and Lynn-san are ready!" agrees the swordsman. The two girls soon come out of the changing room in their original outfits. We walk with them to the cash register and tell them the plan as they go to buy the clothes. We leave the shop, and Lynn asks us if she can stop by her house first. We leave the shop and head up towards the bridge, but instead of crossing it, we take a right in front of the church; Lynn unlocks the door of the house next to the church and enters it, stepping to the side so the rest of us can enter as well.

"I'll just be a minute. Make yourselves at home," she says as she retreats to a back room. Mint excuses herself as well and finds the bathroom.

The rest of us sit down on couches in the living room. Lynn's house is very dark, as the wood that it's made of isn't painted over. The smell of it reminds me of the forest... in fact, everything in here reminds me of nature. Most of the furniture is made of polished wood and black metal, and the cloths are all deep green. The floor is also wooden, though its shade is a lot lighter than the rest of the house. There are vases of flowers and plants around the television and couches, and a small wooden coffee table in front of the couches... Lynn must really like nature.

"Is something wrong, Cless?" Klarth asks, and I turn to stare at the swordsman. He looks troubled by something...

"This house wasn't here the last time I visited, before I became a knight..."

"Maybe it's been built since then?" I suggest.

"I guess so..."

I wonder what Lynn and Mint are up to... I'm sitting in between Cless and Klarth, and Arche's on the other side of Klarth, pouting. She's not still upset, is she? She really needs to learn to let things go...

"I must say... this is the most tranquil things have been in a while," the teacher speaks up.

"What do you mean?" I ask.

"Well, you and Arche aren't yelling at each other and you're not trying to kill Cless. Have you stopped being mad at him?"

"Yes, I've been wondering that as well..."

I glare at Cless. "I'm still mad at you. But I'm stuck with you for this mission anyway, right?" Besides, I have to put up with you in order to make sure you don't contact anyone from the castle... I guess the traitor could be a rebel, but they seem to trust each other... plus I can't be everywhere at once. This was a really bad idea... Still, the least I can do is watch Cless and make sure that he doesn't tell anyone about our plan!

"Right..." Cless stares down at the coffee table, thinking. Once I get my memory back, I'll know the truth about what happened... that'll be tonight unless he leads us into a trap!

Lynn and Mint enter the living room at about the same time, both in their new outfits. "Shall we go to the movies?"

The rest of us stand up and follow them out of the house. Lynn closes the door behind us and we head to the south western corner of the village, where the movie theater is. I'll have to make sure to sit next to Cless if I want to keep an eye on him in there... He hasn't left my sight yet, so our plan should still be safe... I hope... I wish Fenrir would tell me who the traitor is... that'd make things a lot easier! Well, if it's anyone except Cless, it's probably too late...

"What should we see?" Cless questions, and I join them in looking up at the titles of the movies. ...Not that it's any use, I don't know what any of them are about.

"What about Viva! Tales of? I heard that was good," Lynn says. Everyone except Arche agrees; the witch says nothing at all, she just follows us in, her arms folded across her body. She's _still_ upset?! Geez...

Somehow, the three of us guys end up buying the tickets... I don't mind buying for Lynn, though. We head into the movie without getting popcorn. Arche asks if we should get some, but Klarth decides that we'll eat after the movie. The movie theater isn't that full, but there are still quite a few people. I spot Lloyd, Colette, Genis, Presea, and Zelos in the crowd, near the front of the theater. Arche leads us to the back.

We pile into the second row from the back: first Klarth, Arche, Lynn, me, Cless, and finally Mint. Good, now I can keep an eye on Cless. Oh, and it looks like the movie's about to start... Hm, I wonder what it's about...

The lights get lower and a drum roll starts up. On the screen, there are lights going back and forth over what looks to be a stage.

"Ladies and gentlemen," a voice says.

"Tonight we are sending out a special program!" says a second male. His voice sounds kinda familiar...

"Examining the history and charm of the Tales of Series... Viva! Tales of...!" The words flash up on the screen as he says it in large red letters, outlined in blue. There's a yellow star after 'Viva', which is above the 'Tales of'.

"With your well-known hosts, Zelos and..." A box pops up on the screen with Zelos' face. Wait, Zelos?! What's he doing on this?!

"Jade!" A box with another man pops up on the screen as well, to the left of Zelos. He has long, tame brunette hair and the same color eyes. He has pair of thin glasses sitting on his face, and what I can see of his outfit is mostly green with a few yellow lines... the neck of his shirt is black and comes up all the way until just below his chin. The words flash yellow as the drum roll stops, and a happy tune plays in the background as Zelos' and Jade's boxes move upwards. The words fly off to the side and are replaced with a bright, colorful stage. The floor of it is blue, and there are blue benches off to both sides. There is a bright, lime green band around the bottom of the benches. Behind the light brown podium is the word "Viva" in large red letters.

"Hello!" Zelos yells over-enthusiastically as his box pops forward, getting bigger. "Well, it's finally here! Viva Tales of! With your host, the radiant Chosen-sama. From Tales of Symphonia, Zelos Wilder!"

His box retreats and Jade's comes forward as he puts his aqua-gloved hand over his face. "And, the radiant Necromancer-sama. From Tales of the Abyss, Jade Curtiss." As he says his name, he removes his hand from his face. "Pleased to make your acquaintance."

"Yes, Tales of the World: Radiant Mythology," Zelos says. "By the way, 'radiant' means 'to give off light.' 'Mythology' means..." He pauses as he looks through something. "Ah, here it is... 'Actions to conserve the natural environment!'"

"That would be 'ecology.'"

"Ah, then, uh... 'Scientific arts.'"

"'Technology,'" says Jade as he sighs.

"That place Oda Nobunaga burned down!"

"'Hieizan Enryakuji.'" Yep, he's talking to Zelos all right...

"Ah, it's Namco's old best hits... Tower of Babel, Star Luster, Wrestleball, Annals of the Three Kingdoms II: Continent of the Hegemon... that were compiled into one Playstation game!"

"'Namco Anthology.'" I feel sorry for that guy, having to put up with Zelos like that... well, at least people in the crowd are laughing, right? "I'm going home," Jade continues. "I'll get annoyed by this stupid conversation if I stay here."

Zelos laughs before saying, "'Mythology' is a coined term to mean 'an RPG with its own development.' Students! This is going to appear on the exam, so memorize it!"

"Oh dear..." mutters Jade as an anime-style sweat drop covers his background. Regaining his composure, the brunette says, "Well, this time Tales of the World: Radiant Mythology will have a total of nineteen characters from past games participating. It was difficult to determine who we should invite to the studio, but we finally decided. Will the lead characters enter?"

Smoke jets out in front of the two boxes, and when it disappears they're at the top of the screen. Jade pops forward as a box with a picture of a few people scrolls up below them. There's a boy with red hair in the top right, a girl with aqua hair in the center, a boy with long blue hair on the bottom left... I can't see much more than that from here... "From Tales of Eternia, Rid Hershel."

The box with the picture flips around to show the boy on the top right on the other side. Under his short, red hair are a pair of confused green eyes. His shirt is blue with a brown collar. "Ah... um... thanks," he says. "Eh... I'm not good at this sort of thing..." His box floats off to the side.

Zelos pops forwards and says as excitedly as ever, "And, our own Lloyd-kun!"

A box with Lloyd floats up. He's on here, too?! Lloyd looks irritated as he says, "Lead character in Tales of Symphonia, Lloyd Irving." As he says 'Tales of Symphonia'—whatever that is—his box spins around to show a picture consisting of him, his father, and Colette. His box flips back around on his name. Annoyed, he yells, "Introduce me properly, Zelos!"

The other rebel laughs wickedly. "So anyway, Lloyd-kun, congratulations on getting into Radiant Mythology!"

"Thank you!" Lloyd says, now happy. "It's better to have friends."

"No, even though I'm not a lead character, I was picked to host Viva Tales of... So, I was the only one in the spotlight. I was feeling sorry about it... So, it's all right."

"I got too excited..." mutters an annoyed Lloyd as his box floats off.

"From Tales of Rebirth," Jade continues as a new box pops up, this time with only one person on it. He has long, white hair and deep sapphire eyes. The box flips to reveal the same man, and before Jade has a chance to finish, the man's box jumps forward as he yells "CLAAIIIIRRE!" at the top of his lungs. The crowd laughs as Jade says, "Not her!" The man's box backs down to normal size, but he looks annoyed. "Veigue Lungberg!" When Jade finishes the introduction, the man—Veigue—floats off screen.

"From Tales of Legendia, Senel Coolidge!" The boy Zelos introduces is both on the picture and the back of the square. He has dark skin and white hair, with odd markings on his face. His shirt is white with an aqua lining and aqua dots. On his shoulders are large, black... shoulder pads? I don't know what else to call them... These people dress as weird as the rebels!

"I'm reluctant, but I'll stay here for now," says Senel, aggravated. His box then floats off.

"And from Tales of the Abyss," Jade announces as a colorful picture pops up—I see him on there—"Luke fon Fabre!"

This boy has long, red hair and green eyes like Zelos, but his hair is thicker and his eyes thinner. His shirt is white with a large collar... He opens his large mouth and yells in an irritated manner, "Hey, Jade!"

"Yes, what is it?"

"Why are you a host when you're not even a lead character?!"

"Oh, so does the rich kid who never lifted anything heavier than a wooden sword in his life wish to do real hard work for a change?" combats Jade. The crowd laughs.

"No way! I hate work, but I don't like you getting more attention than me. Say... Where's Guy? Hey! Guy?!" he starts yelling. Getting no answer, he gets even _more_ annoyed. "He's not here? What the...! If Guy isn't coming, I'm going home!"

"Calm down," Zelos says as his box falls down next to the noble's.

"I am a goodwill ambassador!" Luke yells, knocking Zelos back up to where he started. "I said I'm going home, so I'm going home!"

Zelos moves next to Jade and mutters, "Hey, what's up with the main character?"

While they talk, Luke continues ranting: "Making me look stupid! And ignoring me! First of all..."

The main character continues by yelling 'complain' and other various things as his box moves around rapidly, and Jade says, "Sorry. I requested 'after hair cut mode,' but... There was a mistake... so we ended up with 'long hair mode' instead."

"Hey! I'm complaining here!" Luke screams, and the crowd laughs.

The screen goes light blue with different shades of blue stars in the background; the title of the thing appears in the center as cheery music plays. When it disappears again, all of the characters are on the stage: Jade and Zelos on the top, Rid and Lloyd below them, and Senel, Veigue, and Luke along the bottom of the screen. Jade pops forward and says, "Well, speaking of Tales of the World..."

As he talks, I feel something warm tap my right hand. Lynn leans over and whispers, "It's different than what I expected, but it's amusing, don't you think?"

"Yeah... though it might help if I understood these characters a little more..."

"They're all actors for popular games and shows. Have you not—oh right! Your memory... I'm sorry, Chester-san..."

"No, it's fine. I'm sure I'll pick up on it, right? Plus, it's still amusing." I close my hand around hers. "Thank you for bringing me." Lynn smiles up at me; it's such a lovely smile...

"Chester-san..." Was that Lynn? It sounded like her, but it also reminded me of someone else... who, though? She was definitely speaking, but her soft voice sounded like... like... it's on the tip of my mind, but I can't quite think of it... Gaah, I hate this... okay, one step at a time... Not Arche, not Mint, not Colette, not Sheena, not Ami, not Raine... Presea? No, she sounds too cold... and too young... She sounded like _someone_ else I know... it's kinda weird... I just wish I knew who...

"Is something wrong, Chester-san?"

"No, nothing." I turn back to continue watching the movie. I don't really know what they're talking about now... It doesn't matter that much. Still, I must wonder who she reminds me of... it feels important somehow...

"I'm just a country boy, so I don't know too much about games..." Rid says on the movie screen.

"Since you don't know much," Jade inputs, "you can think without being trapped in stereotypical ideas!"

"Really? Well, I'll try..."

I glance over to my left to find that Cless isn't in his seat anymore. Oh no...! How long has he been gone?! Turning to Lynn, I whisper, "Excuse me," as I draw my hand away and make my way past Mint and to the aisle. I hurry out of the theater, trying not to run and make my chase obvious. Where could he have gone...?! Ah! There he is! Wait, why is he sitting out here? Did he tell someone about our plans...?!

"Ah, Chester!" Cless says as he notices me. He beckons me over to where he sits, across from the entrance to the movie we were watching. I walk over.

"What are you doing out here?"

"I'm sorry, I know we're supposed to be having fun and all... but I can't stop thinking about how scared they must be..." There's no need to question who he's talking about: Ami, Milard, and Sheena... Does he really care, or is he saying that to try and gain my trust? "I don't like just waiting around like this while they're in danger..."

"...Yeah, I agree..." I mutter. Ami... she's probably terrified... stuck in that dark dungeon...

"Chester, do you remember what I promised you?"

"No, what?"

"I promised that I'd protect Ami... no matter what. ...I guess I'm not doing a good job at that, am I...?"

Did he really promise that? But if he was the one who attacked me... why would he promise to protect my sister...?

_"Are you sure he's telling the truth?"_ a soft voice asks as the pendant around my neck grows warm. Fenrir?! _"He isn't one to trust, remember?"_ she continues. _"That dream I showed you... he really did attack you when you were defenseless once. Unlike in the dream, in reality, he almost killed you. How can you trust anything someone like that says?"_

You're right... Sorry for not keeping a good eye on him... do you know if he's contacted the castle?

_"He hasn't."_

Good...

_"Remember, Chester, you have to be careful who you trust... the traitor will take the Eternal Sword the moment you put your trust in him."_

"Chester? Are you okay?"

"Huh? I'm fine... Anyway, we should head back in before the others start worrying or something."

"You're right... I can't do anything for Ami and the others until tonight, so I shouldn't worry everyone else... Thank you, Chester!" He stands up and walks back into the theater, and I follow behind him. I can't trust him, no matter what he says... he could easily be lying to me. I tap the sword I'm still carrying. Fenrir, I promise to protect this sword!

I return to my seat and take Lynn's hand again. It's so warm...

The rest of the movie is more of the actors talking... Haha, there's Sheena! Zelos is in for it now... heh, he shouldn't insult her like that... She really knows how to make people pay, like with the wasabi...

"Sheena's one of the people who's been kidnapped, right?" Lynn whispers to me.

"Yeah..." How _did_ she get kidnapped? She's a ninja like Suzu, right? So why didn't she escape...? I guess I'll have to ask her later... I put my feet up on the empty seat in front of me and relax.

Now in the movie, Zelos and Senel are fighting... Zelos seems to have the upper hand, with long ranged attacks... I kinda want Senel to win... even if I don't know him... So much for that, Zelos won. He didn't even get hit... Oh well. I can't believe Senel messed up stick rotation... heh, I'm guessing he's a voice actor for a game from that.

"Move your feet!" hisses an all-too-familiar voice: Arche.

"Only if you ask nicely."

She tries to push her way through, but I hold my feet there, refusing to budge. Her face puffs up as she gets angry."Hey, let me through!"

"You're not going to get anywhere by ordering people around," I whisper.

"Chester-san..." Lynn lays her right hand on my arm and stares at me with pleading eyes. Well, if _she's_ asking... I move my feet out of the way and let Arche through. As soon as she's gone, I put my feet back up.

The crowd laughs about something. On the screen, I see a beach with a sunset, and across it are the words: "Please stand by... We are currently having a fist to fist conversation." In the background, I can hear someone get beat up... I wonder what I missed.

The screen goes back to the stage with most of the characters, except Rid and Veigue are missing... Zelos, Senel, and Lloyd have anime-style sweat drops in the background of their boxes.

"That's not good..." Zelos mutters.

"All right, Luke, it's your turn," announces Jade.

"How about a cheagle raising game?" As he says 'cheagle,' a picture of a small, blue creature pops up. It looks sorta like a rabbit, only with a more human-like face. It has long ears that are white at the end, and its face is mostly white. It has a ring around its stomach... Luke continues, "Not one of those pet raising games where you feed it, play with it, and get it to like you... You smack it around, make it spit fire, wad it up and throw it over a wall, and discipline it!" As he talks, a video in the center shows him doing a few of these things to the creature in what looks to be a game...

As Jade's box pops forward, a white exclamation mark on a red triangle fades onto the video. "It's not good from an educational standpoint," the brunette host says, "so it will probably receive public criticism. Instead of cheagles, maybe you should make it a game where you raise some other type of animal?"

"Like?" Luke asks, not that interested.

"A rare animal raising game!" Jade answers as cheery music plays in the background. "You play as Guy." A picture pops up in the center of a man with short, blonde hair in an old fashioned outfit...

"And?"

"You raise a rare animal that doesn't know how to speak or walk. If you ignore it, it will run off." The picture changes to another video... it looks like Luke and another guy, and Luke's shining or something... "It's an animal capable of destroying the world, so it requires careful thought put into its raising." This time the video shows something being destroyed... As Jade continues talking, Luke begins fuming in the corner. "Yet, even if you fail in raising it, you can readjust its personality by changing its hair cut." The video now shows Luke cutting his hair so that it's short.

...Wait, the creature Jade was talking about is Luke? Haha! That's great! That was _cold_! As I laugh, Luke fumes even more and says, "Why you...!" Hahaha, Jade's awesome! Looks like he's not as serious as I thought!

...What? Where did peach pie come in? Veigue is suddenly talking about peach pie... "To hearts that think peach pie is delicious, does the difference in participating and non-participating characters mean anything?! If you've ever eaten peach pie, please remember! This means participating characters and non-participating characters can take each other's hands and walk together! Luke, people will continue to walk down the path you create. I feel it can become a guidepost. We can... Yes, because we can..." Heh, this guy's crazy!

"Bing bong bong boonnnng!" Jade says with the bells in the background. A notepad appears in a small box beside him. "I have a notice. The participating characters from Tales of Rebirth are Eugene Gallardo and Annie Barrs. For some reason, the lead character Veigue Lungberg won't be appearing!" He sounds happy as he says it. Luke and Zelos laugh, while the others sweat drop.

"CLAAAAAAIIIIRRE!" yells Veigue as his box pops forward, tears streaming from his eyes. Heh, I wonder who this 'Claire' is... either way, it's still amusing. The credits start up, and the people in the crowd start moving. I follow Cless out of the movie, dragging Lynn along behind me so as not to get separated. In the lobby, we wait for everyone to catch up. We have Mint, Cless, Lynn, and me... ah, here's Klarth...

"Where's Arche?" I ask as I search through the crowd for her. She shouldn't be too hard to find with that bright pink hair of hers... I don't see her...

"She left during the movie and didn't come back... I thought she was getting snacks or something, but I don't see her in the line..." Mint points out. Oh that's right... she never _did_ come back, did she...? What's _wrong_ with that girl...? Why is she so mad all the time now? Even if she was mad at me a lot before... I liked it better when she smiled and had a good time, no matter what... What happened to change that...?

"We should probably look for her," suggests Klarth. "Where do you suppose she might've gone?"

"Maybe she went back to Morrison's?"

"She could be flying around outside... maybe she got tired of sitting still... She seemed upset about something..."

"Yeah... we need to find her quickly!"

_"Arche's in danger,"_ I remember the fake-Arche saying in my weird dream... Is that true?! I run outside.

In the dark town, I almost run over someone—pink hair—Arche?! No, Presea...

"Yo, Chester-kun!" Zelos is with her, along with Lloyd, Colette, and Genis... "How'd you like the movie? I make a pretty good host, don't'cha think? Don't worry, I'll give you a free autograph!"

"Have you seen Arche?!" I demand. I notice more in my group walk up out of the corner of my eyes.

"No... did something happen?" asks a worried Colette.

"I saw her," Presea speaks up. She points towards where the bridge is. "She looked upset about something..."

"Thanks!" I start running towards the bridge. What's she so upset about?! I don't understand her at all... I jog up the stairs and quickly make my way to the bridge.

She's standing on the bridge, looking out over the water. By the time I get there, I'm tired and breathing heavily... she notices me almost right away. She lets out a little gasp before she glares; she grabs her broom and starts walking the other way. Wait, is she mad at _me_?! Is it because of the feet thing?! That's a poor reason, if so! Still... I can't let it sit like this! I chase after her and grab her arm. "Arche!" She stops and stares at me, her face unreadable. I let go and take a minute to catch my breath, leaning against the rail of the bridge. "Why are you upset?"

"No one ever said I was upset!"

"You don't have to lie. Everyone can tell that you're upset, and they're worried about you."

"So? What do you care? You have the perfect little girlfriend and everything you ever wanted!"

"I don't have everything!" I snap. I don't understand why she's upset, but... "...I miss when you were always happy... about everything..." I stare at the ground. This is a little embarrassing to admit to her... Even if I always argue with her, even if she's annoying and never makes any sense, she's still my friend... I don't like seeing her upset like this...

"Chester! Arche!"

"Arche-chan!"

"Chester-san!" Our group catches up with us.

"Arche-chan, are you okay...?" Mint asks as she approaches her best friend.

The witch stares at all of us, surprise on her face. Her lips then curve into a wide grin. "Yeah! Let's go have dinner!"

"Actually, it might be a little late for that," says the teacher. "If we leave now, we'll reach Morrison's before eleven... we'll have to grab food before leaving there." Wow, it's already time to head back? Well, I managed to keep an eye on Cless the whole time... he only tried to get off on his own once, though. That troubles me... there's still time, though. I'll have to keep watching him!

We go back to Lynn's first, where the girls change back into their normal clothes. Then we walk back to Morrison's house, eating a few apple gels along the way. We tell Arche what she missed in the movie and joke about it some, each of us sharing our favorite parts. It was a good day... but now we have a mission to accomplish! We have to save Ami and the others!

"Chester..." Cless says. "Let's do our best tonight!"

"...Yeah!" I promise I'll save you, Ami!

**Arche gained the title of Jealous Woman. Why should I let _them_ ****have a sweet moment together?**

**Chester gained the title of Tactless Man. It's nice, but it sucks.**

**Zelos gained the title of Host. It's good to have a side job, especially one as fun and important as a talk-show host!**

**Cless joined the party.**

**Arche joined the party.**

**Lynn joined the party.**

**Noishe joined the party.**


	18. Young Man

**I posted some character profile stuff for my ****OCs**** in this story on my profile. Go there if you want to learn more about the ****Gimlis**** and Fenrir!**** Tell me if you want me to add information or a profile of any other OC (though I think the only other one thus far was Jerald... I **** that one, even if he died within five minutes of appearing...)!**

**Oh yeah! And feel free to guess who the traitor is! If you get it right, you get... um... a title in the next chapter! If you tell me why you guessed what you did, you might get more than just a generic title description (depending on the reason)! Fun, right? C'mon, you know you wanna play...**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of Phantasia or Tales of Symphonia. They're owned by Namco.**

**--****Young Man****--**

After everyone gathers, we head straight back for Miguel... it feels like we're going in circles. We met up at Morrison's so as to not draw too much attention and to make sure everyone gets there... but still, that's a lot of walking back and forth for me. Anyway, back in Miguel, we head for the subway, just behind the church... I hadn't noticed its entrance before! Mint talks to the workers there and gets all of us on for free—not only that, but we get our own car. Cless takes a seat near the front, and Mint sits beside him; Lloyd and Colette find a pair of seats somewhere near the front; Noishe lies down in the very front, near the door; Genis walks over to Presea and asks to sit next to her, his face red the whole time; Raine sits behind her brother and Regal behind Presea, both of them watching the younger two carefully; Kratos, Morrison, Klarth, and Suzu sit near the back; and Lynn finds a seat near the middle. I walk over to Lynn. "Is that seat open?"

Lynn smiles up to me. "Of course." I sit down, setting my bow in my lap. Lynn really is kind... Maybe _she_ would believe me about Fenrir... unlike Arche... The train begins moving.

"Wow... I've never ridden on the subway before!" Lynn exclaims. "They're so expensive! Especially those that travel between the continents... Have you ever been on one before, Chester-san?"

Have I? "I don't know. I don't remember..."

"Oh... right... I'm very sorry about your memory loss."

"It's all right. I've gotten used to it." Still, it would be nice to know what happened to make me lose my memory in the first place... "Hey, Lynn, you know that pendant you gave me?"

"What about it?"

"It's a protective charm all right... It's Fenrir's symbol."

"Fenrir's? I've never known her to be a goddess of protection."

"She's protecting me, though... she's tried talking to me a few times..." Lowering my voice so that only Lynn can hear, I tell her, "Fenrir's trying to warn me of a traitor."

"A traitor? But who...?!"

"I think she's talking about Cless..." Both of us stare over in the knight's direction. I turn my attention back to Lynn, who then smiles at me. I feel my face grow hot again...

My seat suddenly lurches forward like someone kicked it. I spin my head around to find Arche sitting right behind me and Zelos next to her.

"Sorry, needed to stretch," Arche says, though she sounds more annoyed than sorry. I thought she was done being mad!

"First Sheena and now Lynn? Wow, Chester! You really _are_ a womanizer!" Zelos exclaims.

My face grows even hotter as I turn and angrily sit straight in my seat, my arms folded across my body. "Like you're one to talk!"

"Women who like you _must_ be crazy," Arche quips. "You're stupid, you're not handsome, you're quick to lash out, you're hardheaded and stubborn, you're forgetful..."

I jump up, spinning around to glare at the witch. "It's not my fault I have amnesia! Besides, at least I'm not a liar like you!"

"You're a jerk!"

"You're obnoxious!"

"Crazy man!"

"Slacker!"

"Pervert!"

"Dork—whoa!" The train lurches as is slows to a stop, and I start to fall backwards; Lynn catches my hand and helps to keep me from falling.

"Chester-san, are you okay?"

"I'm fine... Thanks..."

"You shouldn't stand on a train, you know!" quips the half elf girl.

"Shut up!"

"Glad to see you two are getting along as great as usual..." I hear Klarth say sarcastically. Everyone's staring at us... figures.

I look out the window to see civilians hurrying to others cars, wondering why ours isn't opening. The intercom announces that we're in Euclid... Wow, that was fast! I glare at the girl sitting behind me and decide to remedy this problem. "Lynn, can we move somewhere else?"

"Okay." She stands up and I walk further back, where I can keep an eye on Arche. I offer for Lynn to sit first, and she scoots in to the window. I sit down next to her; this time I can see where Arche is. The train begins moving again. Lynn's very quiet... I hope I didn't say anything to make her mad...

"You and Arche-san... seem to be very close..." Lynn says softly.

Huh?! What makes her think _that_?! "No way! That girl's plain annoying... I hate her."

"So there's nothing between you?"

"Of course not!"

The woman next to me smiles happily. "I'm glad!" Why would she think that? I went with Lynn on that date... I'd _much_ rather spend time with Lynn than Arche! I think my face is turning red again... why does it keep doing this?! Is it because of her...? Lynn giggles.

"Is something funny?"

"I'm sorry, it's just your face... You look cute when you're embarrassed."

Now I'm even more embarrassed... I look down, trying to hide it. "I do not..."

"Chester-san, you'll protect me in the castle, won't you?"

"Of course." I stare straight at her as I say this... Her long, black hair flows elegantly around her face...

Her face seems to be getting closer to mine... I lean in... she's so close...

Suddenly I feel myself being lifted through the air, away from Lynn and my seat. What's going on here?! Whoa, now I'm floating above everyone... What on Aselia is this?! I can't tell where I'm going right now... I can barely see out the windows, where we're speeding past the cave walls... Ow! I fell in a hard seat... My head hit the back of it, and my feet are above me... this is uncomfortable. I crawl out of my awkward position and sit down in the closest seat, next to... Zelos?! Wait, what happened to Arche? I look back to see her walking over and sitting next to Lynn now while everyone's staring... again. Zelos hasn't even noticed the swap yet from the looks of it. He's rambling about something...

"And that was how the great and amazing Zelos saved Lloyd-kun. Pretty impressive, huh, my sweet little gorgeous—" He stops when he finally notices that I'm the one next to him.

"Idiot..." I mutter.

"Whoa, Chester-kun! What are you doing here? And what happened to Arche?"

I jerk a thumb to where Arche and Lynn are sitting. "She must've used some sort of magic to switch us..." Why would she have done that?! She keeps getting in the way! I don't understand that girl at all! And why has she been so angry lately?! She's been on my case ever since... well, ever since she joined the party, really... but even more so since we stopped by Miguel... Did I say something there to make her mad at me? I don't remember saying anything like that...

_"Arche's angry because you were hav__ing some alone time with Lynn,__"_ I remember Klarth saying... but why would she care about that? She hates me, doesn't she...? ...Klarth knows, right? Maybe I should talk to him about this... oh wait, but Arche and Lynn are back there, and Arche's still glaring at me... Plus there's always the chance that Klarth's the traitor... wait, but Klarth sent Sylph to us with the Eternal Sword... He was trying to keep it _away_ from the knights. There's no way Fenrir meant him... I trust Klarth.

Either way, I don't want to sit next to Zelos. I stand up and carefully walk to the back of the train again, making sure not to fall. When I reach the summoner, I stop and say, "Klarth, can I talk to you?"

"Sure. What do you want?"

"Up front?" I whisper so the girls can't hear.

Klarth looks confused, but he stands up and follows me to the front. I try and keep some distance from the three couples up here: Cless and Mint, Lloyd and Colette, and Genis and Presea. As I go to sit down, the train lurches to a stop again, causing me to almost miss my seat.

"This is Venezia. Please exit to the right. Next stop is Alvanista," the woman on the intercom says. Klarth quickly sits down before the train starts moving again.

"So, what's on your mind?" Maybe I should tell him about the traitor thing as well... Decisions... "Chester?"

"Oh, right. Well..." lowering my voice, I tell him, "Fenrir said that there's a traitor among us." That seems like it's more important to talk to him about... if I have time after that, I can ask him about Arche.

"A traitor? There's no way one of us Heroes would be a traitor... maybe she was talking about one of the rebels?" suggests the teacher.

"Maybe... but she was also trying to warn me about Cless."

"Why'd you bring me to the front if you're going to talk about him?" Klarth asks as he motions to the knight who's only a few seats away.

"That's... actually not what I brought you up here to talk about, but it seemed like the more important thing..." I admit.

"You're right, it definitely is important... we'll both have to keep our eyes out. Let me know if you see anyone in the group do something odd."

"Got it."

"Now then, what did you _really_ want to talk about?"

"Well—" Something catches my eye. Outside, we're not surrounded by rocky walls any more... but instead, ocean! There are fish swimming around that we're zooming past. "...We're... under the water..."

"Yes, this is one of the results of the castle's research facility. This subway path, along with a few others, is protected from the weight of the ocean by magical barriers. ...Unfortunately, it uses a little magitechnology to achieve that goal. A few, myself included, have been pushing to get rid of magitechnology all together. Anyway, I don't think that's what you wanted to talk about, either."

"O-oh! Right! Well... it's about something you said before... about how Arche is angry because I'm spending time with Lynn... Is that why she's been so angry recently?"

"Yes. Especially since you almost kissed Lynn... I expect she's _extremely_ upset about that."

"Y-you were watching...?"

"There are a lot of us on the train, you know. Anyway, as I was trying to tell you before, you're caught in the middle of a love triangle. You're going to have to choose one: Lynn or Arche."

"Wait, hold on! But Arche hates me!"

"Then how come she's getting so jealous when you're with Lynn?"

...He has a point... still, it doesn't seem quite plausible... Arche couldn't possibly like me!

"...As far as your choices go, there's Lynn: she'd be a great housewife, and she's kind and dependable. Arche, on the other hand, would make things more fun, though with how much you two fight..."

So it's come down to this, huh... Lynn or Arche... Wait, what is there to even think about? Arche always makes fun of me and picks fights with me, sometimes for no reason at all! Lynn, though... she's perfect. She tries to help me, even if she can't fight... unlike Arche, who through fireballs at my head!

Klarth leans back in his hard seat. "Ah, how nice it is to be young..."

"I _don't_ call this nice..."

"Still, you shouldn't grow up too quickly. Even the troubles of love are something you should cherish at your age."

"Old man..." Still, Klarth has helped me out a lot... ever since I called him, he's tried helping me out... No, even before that, he tried helping me when he first found out I was an orphan... Much of that dream was probably false, but I believe that that part was real... Maybe he even helped me out before then... I wonder if he's doing things a father would do...? "Thanks... for everything..."

"Looks like we're almost there. Are you ready for this, Chester?"

"...Yeah. Hey, Klarth, are you sure you're going to be okay? You're going straight for the king..."

"I'll be fine. Even if I don't know what the rebels are planning, I have Maxwell, Sylph, Efreet, Gnome, _and_ Volt to help me." Klarth and I stand up as the train starts slowing down, and we hold on to the backs of the seats in front of us to keep our balance. "...Hey, Chester, after we rescue Milard... I doubt she'll have a place to stay... and I won't have a place to stay after our journey, either. Do you think you could keep us in Miguel for a while, until we make enough to move out?"

"You don't have any money?"

"Only money we've gathered on our journey. The castle pays researches and teachers very little... they simply provide us with what we need. Same for servants like Milard..."

"...Sure. You two can stay as long as you want."

"Thank you, Chester," Klarth says as he gives me a pat on the shoulder. He follows the others off the train, and after a second I follow as well. It'll be nice to have Klarth and Milard around... I don't know much about Milard yet, but if she's important to Klarth...

"This way!" Mint calls as she leads us to a shadowed crevice. She then points to the guard blocking the way into the castle. "I didn't realize there was a guard here..."

"All right, leave it to me!" Genis runs out of our hiding place without warning, and straight for the guard. Lloyd starts to chase after him, but his father holds him back.

Genis trips in front of the guard, who stares down at the half elf with contempt. "Hey, kid, you can't come over here! Go on!"

Our comrade stares up at the guard with scared eyes. "B-but... I... I lost my mom... I wasn't able to get of at Venezia quick enough... and the train left... and they won't let me hop on one going back..."

"Do you have any money, kid?"

"No... My... my mom paid... I don't know what to do! Please, help me... I'm scared of the large crowd..."

Genis is an _amazing_ actor! Even the guard looks troubled by his story!

"Can't you contact her?"

"I don't have any way to... I'm lost... I want my mom back..." Genis curls up and pretends to cry, and the guard falls for it.

"O-okay kid, don't cry... Come on, I'll help you get on the train back. Get up!"

"R-really?"

"Yes, now hurry up! I can't be away from my post for long!"

"Thank you, mister!" The guard tries running ahead, but Genis is one step ahead of him: "W-wait! Don't leave me... I'll lose you if you run... P-please help!"

The guard returns. "All right, geez, do I have to hold your hand?"

"Someone in the crowd might... might _kidnap_ me! Mommy warned me about that!" With a few pretend sniffs on Genis' part, the guard grabs the young boy's hand and starts leading him through the crowd at a much slower pace.

With the guard safely out of the way, Mint hurries us on, leading the way in case of more guards. She leads us into the castle and down back halls—most likely meant for servants—to the control room. Here we can see what all the cameras are looking at... but there are two guards in here. They notice us and start to attack, so Regal and Presea quickly take them out.

"We'll dispose of the guards along the way."

"Thank you. I'll be able to watch everything from here, so I'll contact you if anything goes wrong. Please be careful, everyone!"

"Do these cameras show everywhere?" Cless asks.

"They should... Let's see if we can find the place you want to get to." Mint starts typing on the computer, and the screens start flashing between camera views.

"Thanks." Cless carefully watches. "Stop, there! Go back one." The princess does as he asks, and Cless points to a screen near the lower right. "That's the door leading into the room... no doubt about it."

"I've never seen this passageway before...!" Mint scrolls through the cameras in that area, but we don't see any guards.

"Can you see the inside of the room?"

"Let me try..." The images continue scrolling until they come back to the first shots, of the outside of the castle.

"They don't have any cameras in there... I guess I'm not surprised. Something like that caught on camera would cause an uproar..." Cless turns to me, Arche, and Lynn. "Shall we get going, then?"

I nod and we quietly leave the room with Noishe. We're heading off before everyone else since we're the decoy group... Next group will be Klarth and the ones going to meet the king, followed by those saving the captives, since that's our top priority. I hope Klarth and Suzu will be okay...

"Arche!"

"I'm on it!" We're hiding in a hallway, but we can hear knights or some other castle residents just around the corner. Our witch prepares a spell... "Ice Tornado!" The guards in the hall start yelling and we set off running past them, straight through the main hallway.

"Chester!"

That's my que. There are guards trying to stop us... I pull out a few arrows and jump into the air. "Sonic Bash!" The stones under them fly up, and we all grab Cless' arms as he holds up his sword.

"Lunge!" Within seconds, we're on the other side of the knights caught up in the rubble I created, and we hear more commotion behind us. We continue running down into the dungeon, where Raine and I had been trapped before. There are two more guards down here... Cless dives at them as they wildly swing their spears. "Distortion Blade!" His sword swings wide, hitting both guards and sending them flying into the wall, unconscious. Lynn and I hurry over to them and search for the keys...

"This guard doesn't have them," I mutter. "Yours?"

"Not here, either..."

"I'll open the door, then," Cless says as he stabs his sword between the bars. He pushes and slowly pries the door open... We hurry though. The knight leads us to a jail cell that has no prisoners, the cell across from the one just to the right of the door. He pries that cell open as well and trots to the back left corner, which is hidden from view. There's a brick that's a little further out, which Cless pushes... a door suddenly swings open right next to the brick, leading us into a long, dark hallway. I recognize this... this is the hallway from my dream... then that door at the other end...

"Chester, are you ready for this?" Cless asks.

"Yeah, I am. Let's go." I walk down the hallway first, not caring if any of them follow. I want to see what's past that door... I _need_ to see what's past that door! The hallway seems to go on forever... before I know it, I'm at the large, black door... I slowly put my hands on it and start pushing it forward.

The room is large and circular with very bright lights. We come out on the large podium, which is red... ugh, the red is dried blood! The podium is very bright, but beyond it is almost no light at all... I can see the shadows of—people?! A bunch of knights come out of the shadows, making a semicircle around us.

"Go back!" Cless hisses as he holds his sword up in defense. Noishe starts growling at the tunnel behind us, and I soon find out why: more knights are walking down the passageway.

"We're surrounded..."

Curt Gimli walks out of the crowd bearing his thunder hammer. "You're trapped. Did you really think you were going to infiltrate the castle?" He laughs an eerie laugh... He's not like his sister at all!

Cless eyes all of the knights, holding his sword up firmly. "You were waiting for us... but how...?!"

"The traitor among you told us everything. Your friends should be dying right about now... and you'll be joining them in a minute!"

**Chester gained the title of Young Man. ****Even the troubles of being young are something to cherish, not pass up**

**Klarth gained the title of Father Figure. It is a title given to one who looks after another like a father would.**

**Genis gained the title of Actor. Come watch as he dazzles everyone with his amazing acting skills!**


	19. Torn Man

**Thank you, Starry-chan, for participating in the traitor-guessing-game! For those that do not know, Starry-chan guessed that the traitor is Lynn. You have a title at the end of the chapter! (Please don't skip ahead to read it... just wait until you get there).**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of Phantasia or Tales of Symphonia. They are owned by Namco.**

**--****Torn ****Man****--**

We're surrounded by a bunch of knights... Cless holds his sword up in defense, his eyes gliding over the knights. We're all looking for a way out... Arche's preparing a spell, and I'm trying to keep Lynn in the middle of our group. Noishe growls as he backs up to join our small circle. "Lower your sword, Alvein," comes Curt's rough voice, "if you want the girl to live." The knights pass someone forwards into his large hands—oh no!

"Ami!"

"Onii-chan! Cless-san!" Tears are streaming down my sister's face... Ami, she must be so scared! The Swordsman of Space-Time lets his sword fall to the ground.

"Let her go... she has nothing to do with this!"

"You failed the test," Curt says, a malicious grin planted across his face. "...This is the girl you were supposed to protect, isn't it?" He holds up his hammer, which sparkles with electricity.

"Ami!"

"No, stop!" Curt's already moving in to hit Ami with the hammer—no, I'm too slow!—with a swift movement, Cless kicks his sword into his hand again. "Demon Fang!" He uses his sword to create a blast of energy that travels along the ground, hitting Curt.

The ugly giant slowly turns to Cless, glaring. "You haven't learned your lesson, have you, Cless Alvein?"

"Ice Fang!" I release an icy arrow at him, which lodges into his chest.

"Ice Tornado!" Arche's spell sweeps up the knights, throwing them around in a mountain of ice. Ami is crouching below it, her hands over her head, but she looks to be all right...

"Lynn, throw a smoke bomb!" orders the group leader, and as I shoot another arrow I see a black ball landing amongst the knights. Smoke spews out of the bomb, engulfing the knights. Cless charges in, Arche and Noishe close behind him. I feel someone grab my arm—Lynn. She smiles at me as she pulls out a dagger—where was she keeping it?—and says, "Let's help them Chester-san!" With that, she joins the fray.

"Wait, Lynn!" I start running towards the smoke, but I hear commotion among the knights behind me. Oh yeah, forgot about them! I spin around and notch an arrow on my bow. "Wild Rain!" Many of them have arrows in them now, and the closest start coming towards me. I notch another arrow and pull the string back, taking aim.

The tunnel those knights are in explodes with bright, blue electricity... where'd all that energy come from?! Ah, that's...! Volt! As it clears out, the knights fall and I see Klarth standing at the end of the long tunnel. He charges down, trying not to trip on the fallen knights as he does so, and I see yet more knights follow in behind him. "Chester! They have the others!"

"I know! Duck!" I shoot an arrow as he moves out of the way, hitting the closest knight. He slows as he catches up to my and spins around, starting another spell. "Did you see anyone else get away?"

"Not in my group... I don't know about Regal's group."

"They're alive, right?"

"Yeah. Here they come!"

Right, I need to concentrate on fighting! "Eagle Shot!" Wind blades shaped like eagles split the knights apart, knocking many unconscious. "Cless, Arche, Lynn! The tunnel—hurry!" I yell as I stare at them. Arche pulls Ami onto her broom and flies towards us, keeping one arm wrapped around my sister and the other gripped tightly to the broom. Cless is locked sword-to-sword with a knight, who he kicks to get the advantage of. He slowly moves backwards, trying to cover Lynn. I shoot an arrow at a knight to help them.

Curt swings his hammer at Cless, who barely manages to block the attack. Thunder shoots out of the hammer and through the sword, shocking our companion; Cless yells out in pain.

Noishe knocks out a guard and then hurries down the tunnel behind Arche. I shoot another arrow, downing another knight.

"Gnome!" The missiles pop up from the ground and rise into the air—they splash back down on the knights, leaving Lynn an opening. She charges towards us, us and the tunnel.

I pull out another arrow and put energy into it. It explodes in lightning—"Thunder Blitz!"—and flies through the air, hitting a knight and shocking him with bolts of electricity.

"Lynn! Watch out!" Lynn?! I look over to see her holding the bag up to defend herself from a shining blade—a bright flash—too bright—a loud boom—an explosion?! I can't see... the place Lynn was standing is engulfed in flames... flames and smoke...

"Lynn... LYNN!" No... no, she can't be! Only seconds ago she was smiling... No, she has to be alive!

"Chester, wait! It's too dangerous!" Someone grabs my wrist.

"Let me go! I have to make sure she's okay!" Klarth has a hold of my arm, and I try to break free.

"You'll die! Use your head!"

"Are you just going to leave her?!" I turn to stare at him. I can't believe him! She's supposed to be his friend!

"There's... nothing we can do for her now..." I can't see his eyes—his hat's in the way—but I can hear the pain in his voice... "We have to get out of here—she wouldn't want us to die!"

"Chester! Klarth! Hurry, I can't hold them much longer!" Cless is still fighting the knights... they're easily gaining on him, and he has cuts all over...

There are knights littered all over the ground, and among them is a woman who may not even be in one... No, I can't think like that... I can't bring myself to look for her, either... I'm scared of what I'll see... Klarth gives me a push towards the tunnel, and my feet take up the rest, and soon I'm running... I'm sorry, Lynn... I couldn't save you...

Cless takes the lead and I blindly follow him through the castle, not paying attention where we're going. I can't believe it... that explosion, it didn't seem real... maybe it _wasn't_ real... maybe it was a distraction, and Lynn's waiting outside... with Arche and Ami...

"They're blocking off our exit," Cless whispers as the three of us enter a hiding spot. We're in a large library, hiding behind bookshelves. The shelves are littered in books that come in many sizes and colors...

"We could either wait for them to clear out or I could use a summon..." Klarth's eyes fall on me. "They're after the Eternal Sword..."

"We have the Eternal Sword?!"

I tap the sword strapped to my belt. "Yeah. What do you suggest we do with it, Klarth?"

"When we went to talk to the king, we found out that they're after the sword and its owner—Cless," explains the teacher. "Therefore, it'd be dangerous for him to hold on to it. I might be the best off since I can protect it with my summons."

Klarth has a point... he has all of his summons, whereas I've been caught numerous times before. I take the sword off and hand it over to the summoner. "All right, take care of it."

The summoner nods as he takes it. Holding his summoning book and the sheathed sword under his arm, he holds his other hand up in front of his face, first two fingers up, and begins concentrating on a summon. The green circle for his summons spreads out under him, made of light... wind blows rapidly around us, throwing books off of their shelves.

"Great, they'll realize we're here before Klarth finishes the summon!" I mutter as I prepare my bow. "Cless, let's cover him!" I point it at the only opening to our hiding spot, waiting for a knight to charge around. Wait a sec, Cless isn't getting ready to attack... "Cless?"

"Chester... something's wrong."

"What do you mean?" He's watching Klarth carefully... I don't understand what he's talking—hold on, that's the Diamond Ring...!

"ORIGIN!" The green light explodes up around the summoner, surrounding all of us. Two Origins flash into appearance, one on either side of me.

"Stop him!" Both Origins yell as they raise up one of the swords.

"Chester!" Something hits me in the side, knocking me to the ground—there's a loud boom, and someone is yelling out in pain. I look up—Cless is being hit by Origin's electric attack—he took the hit for me... The attack stops and Origin disappears, and Cless stalls, trying to keep himself up. His eyes close and he falls, first to his knees and then to the ground.

"Cless... Cless!" I crawl over and shake him. "Hey, Cless, wake up! No... not you, too... Idiot! Don't just save me and die! Cless!" I feel something wet fall down my cheek. No... he has to be alive... He can't die too! My fist tightens around my bow as I glare up at Klarth. "Why?! Why are you attacking us?! Klarth, you're..." I can't believe it... Klarth's not the traitor... there's no way he'd betray us after all of this... He's always been there for me, to help me and give me suggestions... he's always been watching over me... Has he been a spy this whole time...?

"Hm... How about this: I'll let you live if you leave Cless here," the summoner says coldly. Klarth's never had that tone in his voice before... Is he really working for the king...? I should've guessed—he's a researcher for the castle, after all...

"I refuse!" I pull Cless up and put his left arm around my shoulder, picking him up with my right arm.

"Why? I thought you hated Cless."

"I'm not about to hand him over to a pack of dogs! You're the worst of them, you traitor!" It's not right... this whole time, I've been blaming Cless... but when it came down to it, he saved me and took the pain himself... Klarth was the real traitor! All this time... was all of that to gain my trust?

I begin walking, dragging Cless along... He's heavy with all of that armor on! I won't be able to run like this! Especially if Klarth uses another summon... This isn't good! Why'd Cless have to fall unconscious at a time like this?!

"If you leave him here, Mint can heal him. We've captured Raine as well, so you won't have a healer. He could die if you take him."

They really want Cless... which means Klarth won't attack me if it could hurt him. Good, maybe that'll keep us safe from him... I'll figure out what to do about healing once I get him out of here!

I drag him as quickly as I can through the library, but the knights are noticing us now... I won't be able to defend against them! We'll probably be captured here...

"Chester, give up if you want to live," Klarth's voice says from behind. "You and I both know there's no possible way you can carry Cless out of here. If you hand him over, I'll get you out of here. Promise."

"There's no way I'd trust a liar!" I shoot back. "You can save your breath—I'm not letting you have Cless!"

"Stubborn to the very end..." Turning to the knights surrounding us, he says, "You heard him. Arrest them both."

No... Klarth... How could he do this to us?! I never though he'd be the type of person who'd trick us like this... who'd act so cold about us dying... Sure, he's tricked people before, but he's told mostly the truth even then... or so I thought. Had I missed something this whole time? Was it something Arche or I said or did to turn him against us...? Was he fed up with our arguing...?

The knights are swept up in a blast of fire, which Noishe bursts through. "Chester! Cless! Klarth!" Arche yells from the other side—she's outside of the library, still holding Ami on her broom. Perfect timing! I lay Cless across the large dog-like creature and hop on him like a horse. Noishe runs out of the hallway, breaking through the guards. I notch an arrow and take careful aim, judging for the bumpy ride. I shoot and a guard goes down—I quickly pull out another arrow and shoot again.

Arche leads the way, turning a corner; Noishe slides to turn, almost knocking me off. I grab on tight, making sure to keep Cless on, and once I feel steady I pull out another arrow. Arche flies through the exit, past a guard—I shoot him right before he hits Noishe with his sword, and the creature jumps down into the subway.

Genis, Sheena, Suzu, and Milard are waiting by a wall; Arche and Noishe halt to a stop next to them and I jump off the canine. Arche hands a nervous Ami down to Milard, who hugs my little sister to help her calm down. "Suzu, let's get out of here!" I say.

"What about the others?"

"They're... captured."

"But I saw Klarth as we were running!" argues Arche. "And what happened to Lynn?"

"I said go!" I don't want to tell them the truth... not yet, while we're in such a hurry...

Suzu puts her hands in front of her face in preparation for Shadow Storm.

"Wait!" I hear Klarth yell, and I turn a glare back to him. He's running towards us, his hat flopping on his head. He's still holding both his book and the Eternal Sword... even after all of Fenrir's warnings, I lost it...

I pull out an arrow, notch it, and point it to the sky. "Wild Rain!" I release and watch as the arrow flies into the air, splits, and then falls down towards the summoner with many more arrows. He holds his book up above his head in protection, and two arrows hit him; the rest fall down around him.

"Ahh! Why are you attacking Klarth-sensei?!"

"Chester! What are you—" Klarth looks confused—he's probably trying to act normal to the others.

"GO!" I yell as I pull out another arrow. "Klarth betrayed us!"

"W-what...?"

"Shadow Storm!" The crowd, station, and Klarth all vanish in the leaves that swirl around us.

Now we're standing in the mountains, overlooking a town or something... The area in front of us looks to be a peninsula, connecting to one of the Alvanista bridges—I can see the castle light up far off in the distance. We're on one of the front mountains, closest to the village. I look at our small group: Arche hops off of her broom and stares off towards the castle; Milard still has her kind arms around Ami; Genis sits down, horror on his face in fear of what happened to his friends and family; Sheena putting a sad hand on Genis' shoulder; Suzu climbing a little higher to take a better look around; and Noishe supporting the unconscious Cless on his back. Arche turns to me and demands, "What happened in there?! We separate for five minutes and everything's gone berserk!" When I don't answer, she continues, "What happened to Cless? What'd you mean by 'Klarth betrayed us'? Where's your little girlfriend? ...Hey, Chester! Answer me!"

I can't take it! She doesn't understand! She didn't see Klarth attack us... he pulled out Origin, his strongest summon, who he was supposed to not have...! Milard's important to him, right...? Is she on the same side as him?! It's still so hard to believe... Could that cold man that attacked us really be the same Klarth that always encouraged me and helped me...? It doesn't seem right at all... So the person who attacked Suzu back at Japoni really _was_ Klarth... and the reason he was in Treantwood was to get the Eternal Sword and Origin... So I guess he lied to us about not knowing why he was there... and about not having the Diamond Ring and not hurting Suzu... Has everything just been one big lie?! And I couldn't see through it...

And Cless... he took that hit for me... He could've died! That idiot! And yet... even after all I did to him... even after I attacked him and yelled at him so much... he still saved me... I owe him so much, but what can I do to save him now?! I kept him away from the castle, but he might die if he doesn't get healed immediately... Still, now I know... he doesn't want to be a slave to the castle. He doesn't want to help them. I'll respect that, no matter what.

And Lynn... Lynn shouldn't have even gotten caught up in this... She was so kind... she didn't deserve to die... And she was trusting me to protect her! What a lousy job I did... I failed her, and now I'll never see her again... She lost everything at once... Lynn...

"Chester..." Arche's voice sounds kinder than it ever has before, and she's staring at me... "Are you... okay...?"

I turn away from her. "I'm fine." Everyone's staring at me now... I wish they'd stop! I don't like all of this attention!

"Here." Arche's holding a pink, lacy handkerchief in front of my face. Now that she mentions it, I do feel something wet on my face... That's embarrassing, and even more so is that handkerchief... Oh well, everyone's seen anyway. I take the thing and wipe my face off. I can't believe I'm actually crying when no one else is... but they didn't see Lynn die or Klarth attack me or Cless take that horrible attack... They don't even know what's going on...

"Hey, how about we camp here for the night?" suggests Arche. "We'll move in a little so the knights won't find us." It's really late already... We hike up the mountain, though it's hard to see the footing in the dark. Arche hops on her broom, while Genis and Ami sit behind Cless on the canine creature. Noishe is Lloyd's dog, isn't he...? He looks odd for a dog... The ninja sisters are in the lead, and they seem to be choosing the hardest path... Whoa, I need to concentrate on watching my step... This path is very uneven...

"We'll set up camp here," Sheena suddenly speaks up. "They shouldn't find us here, but we'll trade off watch, just in case."

"I'll take first watch," offers Arche.

"Hold on," I say as I turn to Milard. I have to make sure she's not working with Klarth! "How do we know we can trust you?"

"What are you talking about?! Milard's helped us a lot!" Sheena argues.

"Onii-chan, Milard-san's been nice to me... She got arrested for trying to help you," my little sister speaks up from next to Noishe. She's trying to help get Cless off of the dog.

"Ami, I'll get Cless in a minute. This comes first. ...You're close to Klarth, aren't you?"

"Yes. What did you mean... what you said..." Her modest face has a troubled look. She looks earnest, but then again, so did Klarth all of those times he lied...

"Klarth betrayed us. He's the one who told them our plan! When we were trying to escape, he tricked me into giving him the Eternal Sword... and then he attacked us with Origin..." I walk over to the Swordsman of Space-Time. "That's what hurt Cless..."

"I don't understand, he had plenty of time to take the Eternal Sword and run... yet instead of letting Curt take it, he gave it to us," Suzu points out. "Why?"

"I don't know. Maybe to gain our trust so we'd hand over Cless... they need him as well."

"I can't believe that Klarth-sensei would just turn his back on us! He's our companion... he wouldn't..."

"Don't make excuses for him! The fact is that he betrayed us! He was even ordering the knights around... His friendship with us was just a lie!" My hand is in a tight ball. I hate him! How could he do this to us?! I trusted him... Again, all of the people I trusted are turning against me... Now all I have to trust are Arche, Ami, and Cless...

"That doesn't sound like Klarth," says Milard. "He's played many tricks before, but there's always been some truth, even in his lies... and he wouldn't turn his back on his friends."

I glare at her. "And how are we supposed to know you aren't working with him?!"

"I was arrested by the knights. If I was working for them, I wouldn't have been arrested. I understand if you cannot trust me, though... I will stay in view of all of you so you can watch me. In fact, if it will make you feel better, you may take me captive. Even if Klarth's turned against you, as you say, he's been my friend for far longer than you've been alive, so I doubt he'd let me get hurt."

"That sounds like a good plan, at least until we can confirm the facts and figure out who Klarth's really working for," Sheena agrees.

"If we're going to take a captive, let's do it _properly_ this time. You can't just let your captive walk around and have people believe that he's a captive," I shoot.

"Kratos and Raine tried to push that, but Lloyd, Colette, and Genis wouldn't stand for it," explains Sheena. "Milard, I hope you don't mind, but we're going to need to tie you up."

"That's fine."

"Are you sure?" asks Genis from his spot on the ground.

Milard smiles kindly at the half elf kid. "Yes."

While Sheena ties the other woman up, I slowly pull Cless off of Noishe. The dog lies down, and I lay Cless against him. We need to help Cless... "Suzu, do you think you can get some help for Cless?"

"It's too dangerous for us to bring someone here, but I can go to town and buy some apple gels and medicine."

"All right, hurry." I hear the girl disappear in her whirlwind. There's a fallen log in the area that no one's claimed yet... I walk over and plop down on it.

...I still have Arche's handkerchief... it's all wet now, though... I stare at the group. Arche's staring off at the mountains, while the others are all laying down on the rocky ground now, trying to make themselves comfortable. Lynn should be here, too... why did she take the bombs?! I should've stopped her... I shouldn't have even let her come... but she said it'd be all right, that I'd protect her... I let her down, and she's not here because of that...

"You're not going to sleep?" Arche suddenly says. She's now standing above me, staring down at me with her hyper pink eyes. Past her I notice that Suzu's back and applying the medicine to Cless' wounds.

"I'm not tired."

We fall silence for a few moments before she speaks again: "Klarth was important to you, wasn't he...?"

"I don't want to hear it. Not from you."

"What, is it a guy thing?"

"Just leave it alone!" She doesn't understand... I don't know what it's like to have parents... Klarth was the closest thing I had... I was looking forward to him moving in to Miguel...

"Fine." She grows quiet again, but not for long: "So then what happened to Lynn?"

"I said leave it alone!" Why won't she leave me alone?! She's always so annoying...! I don't want to talk about it!

"...You shouldn't close up like this. You'll just end up pushing everyone away. Is _that_ what you want?!"

"Fine! I don't care!" I yell, which makes the witch wince.

"O-oh..." She turns around and hops on her broom; she soars upwards, leaving me alone... This is what I asked for, yet... my heart seems to have sunk a little, and I regret yelling at her now... She's right, I'm just pushing everyone away, but... where has trusting people gotten me? It's messed everything up...

"Arche," I call up. "...Can you come down for a sec?"

"Why should I?!" She glares at me, her face puffed up in anger. Suzu finds a spot on the ground to sleep on and makes herself comfortable, not saying anything about me and Arche arguing again. If Klarth was here, he'd call us down... he'd tell us to stop arguing...

"I'm not going to yell at you again!" After a moment longer, she slowly hovers down until she lands on the ground. "Look... everyone I get close to either turns against me or gets hurt. I..." I don't want Arche to end up like Cless or Lynn... or to be kidnapped and slated for death like Ami... She's waiting for me to finish my sentence... I turn away and mumble, "I don't want you to get hurt."

I don't look at her, which only makes the awkward silence worse... Did she hear me? What's she thinking? I can never tell what's on her mind... Why am I even worried about it? I wonder if she really _does_ like me, like Klarth said... then again, that could've been a lie, too... Not that it matters; what I feel for Arche and what I felt for Lynn are two different things, though I can't explain it...

"Scoot over a bit," Arche suddenly speaks up. "I need to sit, too."

Oh, I didn't realize I was sitting right in the middle of the log... I scoot over to the right and Arche sits down next to me. Somehow this feels even more awkward... why is my heart beating so fast? It didn't do this with Lynn...

"Chester... Don't worry about me. I can take care of myself, remember? Or should I shoot another fireball at your head?" I stare at her to see her grinning at me, showing that she's joking. "Besides, it was my firestorm that got you and Cless out of there!"

She's right... I stare down at the ground. "Lynn trusted me... but I let her down... She... died back there..." I can feel the tears stinging my eyes again. I won't cry! I won't...

"You can cry if you want. It's okay—I won't tell anyone."

I don't say anything. I see someone stirring a little and hear a small gasp—Ami. Oh no...! She must've heard what happened to Lynn...

I stand up and walk over to my little sister, who tries to pretend to be asleep. She's obviously not... she's squeezing her eyes shut as they grow watery. I sit down next to the little girl and pull her up gently. "Onii-chan... Please say it isn't true... Lynn-san's still alive, right...?"

I wish I could say 'yes' and that it would be true... I can't bring myself to say it, though. It's _not_ true. Ami's old enough that I don't have to lie to her about this... Still, Lynn was important to her... maybe in the way that Klarth was important to me...

I pull Ami into a hug and murmur, "I'll make Klarth pay for this... I promise..." It's his fault that the operation failed... that they were waiting for us... that Lynn died... and the others were caught... It's his fault that Cless is gravely injured and unconscious now... I _will_ make him pay for what he's done! Both Klarth and Curt!

**Chester gained the title of ****Torn**** Man. It is a title given to someone who has suffered many losses.**

**Cless gained the title of Sacrifice. I will protect my friends, even if it means sacrificing my own life.**

**Klarth gained the title of Traitor. It is a title given to one who has tricked and betrayed his friends.**

**Starry-chan gained the title of Educated Guesser. She pulls on many ****good ****clues in past chapters to come to a reasonable conclusion.**

**Lynn left the party.**

**Suzu joined the party.**

**Sheena joined the party.**

**Genis joined the party.**


	20. Lost Romantic

**The title "Hopeless Romantic" has been stolen by Klarth**** (in the game)****, so... I had to think of something else. It didn't work out that well, though...**** Sorry!**

**My Klarth outfit is almost complete! I'm dressed as a traitor... be afraid, be very afraid. Erm, anyway, if any of you people go to Anime Weekend Atlanta, look for me! I'll probably be the only Klarth F. Lester! ...If not, definitely the shortest one...**

**Thank you, ****Godgiven****-chan, for helping me with the argument between Arche and Chester before the Fire Storm!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Tales of Phantasia or Symphonia.**

**--****Lost Romantic****--**

I don't know how long I was holding my sister last night before falling asleep, or how long I slept, but Sheena woke me up only minutes ago. We have no food, so we're headed back to the mansion we planned at, where there's a supply of free food... Klarth also left his supplies there, so we can probably use the bag. The Fujibayashi sisters transfer us to the manor once everyone except Cless is awake—he hasn't woken at all, though he's still alive...

Inside the manor, we each go to gather things for our journey. I go upstairs to the bedroom Klarth, Suzu, and I were healed in, where Klarth left his bag. There it is... I begin searching through it. He has a few books that we probably won't need, so I take those out. He has the sleeping bag, a small blanket, apple gels and orange gels, food, a map, various loot items we picked up from monsters... we could probably sell these for some more money. I'll take this down and see if they want to put anything else in here. I sling it over my shoulder and walk down, where I smell food cooking... I walk into the kitchen, where Genis is cooking. Arche, Ami, and Milard are sitting at the table, and I sit down with them, placing the bag and my quiver and bow on the ground next to me. Sheena and Suzu walk in soon afterwards and sit down as well.

"I hope everyone likes scrambled eggs," says Genis. "It's easy to make, and we're probably all hungry..." He opens a high cabinet and reaches up to grab some plates, but he's a little too short. He puts his hands on the counter and jumps, lifting himself up onto the counter. There he pulls out the number of plates and cups he needs. He then hops down to the floor again and grabs the spatula to continue cooking. Soon enough, he begins dividing up the eggs onto the plates. After the third one, he looks at us and comments, "Come fix your drinks and grab some plates. I don't have room for all of them over here!"

We all stir, standing up and walking over. Sheena opens the fridge, showing us the drinks in there: apple juice, water, tea, orange juice... I reach in and grab the apple juice, but my hand touches someone else's gloved hand—Arche's. I jump back in surprise and she pulls out the apple juice; completely ignoring me, she grabs a cup and puts it on a plate filled with eggs, which she takes over to the table. I grab a cup and plate and follow, annoyed. Other people want to use that, too! Arche takes the cup off of the plate and pours apple juice into it, and then she places the drink on the table. I snatch it up and pour my own juice, pretending not to notice as she stares at me. Finished, I put the juice back on the table and plop down in a chair.

...I forgot a fork. From the looks of it, Arche just realized that she forgot a fork as well. Sheena sits down on one side of me, and Ami on the other, both with forks. The others fill in before I have a chance to ask someone to grab me a fork.

"Hey Chester, wanna grab me a fork?" says the pink haired girl across from me.

"Get it yourself."

"Geez, you're so mean!" Arche complains as she stands up.

As she walks over to grab a fork, I say, "Get me a fork while you're up."

I hear the silverware door slam closed. Arche storms over and plunks into her seat, where she stabs her eggs with her fork. She only brought one...

"Hey, where's mine?"

"Get it yourself." She sounds annoyed.

"You were up!"

"Only because you made me go get one!" she yells. What happened to the kind girl from last night?!

I glare at her, and she glares back, neither of us blinking. "You're such a pain, you know that?" I say.

"What?! _You're_ the one that's being a jerk!"

"I only asked you to get me a fork!"

_"Cless, they're in your group. I'm not babysitting anymore."_ Klarth said that... about me and Arche... I guess he really _was_ annoyed with us arguing... Did we drive him away...? Was that the truth in the lies...?

"Never mind." I stand up and walk over to get a fork. I grab one and trek back over to my chair, where I sit down and finally begin eating. Hm, I wonder... "What are we going to do with Ami and Milard? We can't just leave them here—the knights might come back; plus I still don't know whether I should trust Milard. And it's too dangerous to take them with us..."

"We still have to save the others, too," Sheena adds.

"And gather the rest of our powers," Suzu points out.

"I still can't believe that Klarth is against us," Milard speaks up. "He's not the type that would just turn his back on his friends. I've been spying in the castle all this time and giving him information to help all of you..."

"He was just a lying triple agent," I snap. "No one could see who he was really working for... he pretended to work with us and with the rebels, but he was really just working for the king this whole time! He's just a lying scoundrel! He's the worst!"

"What about you?!" Milard demands—she looks quiet, not like the type to yell, but I guess I made her mad talking about... about _him_ like that... "Who are you working for? Fenrir?!"

How did she...?! Oh, Klarth must've told her that I've talked to Fenrir... but when...? "So? Fenrir's a goddess, and she's trying to help us!"

"Fenrir's a goddess of trickery, thievery, and seduction. She's not one to trust."

"She's a goddess! She's protected me!"

"Chester-kun, please listen to me..." Milard's voice quiets down to almost a whisper. "You must be wary of Fenrir, or she'll tear you away from your friends... Treasure your friends—you still have them..."

She says that like she doesn't... "What do you mean...?"

"...Do you trust your friends?"

"I... I don't know who to trust anymore..."

"Onii-chan..." Ami's voice calls out.

I force a smile down to my little sister. "Don't worry, I trust you... and I'll protect you..." The last person I said that to was Lynn... but she's...

"I should probably be the last person to tell you this, but you need to trust your friends," says Milard. She sounds as broken as I feel...

"How can you say that?! Klarth betrayed all of us!"

"I'm not just going to leave it at that," the woman says. "There must be a reason... and I'm going to find it."

"Just face it, he was probably a traitor from the start..." I didn't need her lecture! She should know that there are people you just can't trust... From the start of this, everyone's just been tricking me for their own purpose... The knights who put me against Cless; the rebels, who work for Dhaos; the king and Curt, who are after the Eternal Sword; Klarth, who betrayed us all... even Arche once tricked me for her own purposes... I could've trusted Lynn, but...

_"Do you want her back?"_ Fenrir's voice speaks in my head as the pendant gets warm.

What do you mean...?

_"There's a way to bring her back... if you're willing to try it."_

Of course! Just tell me!

_"Resurrection is a complicated matter. I can't tell you what to do right away, so keep collecting your powers for now."_

So I just need to continue what I've been doing, then?

_"Yes. There's not much I can help you with, as you must do this yourself, but I will do what I can for you here. I will protect your sister and Milard while you travel."_

"Heeey, Aselia to Chester!" Arche's calling as she waves a hand in front of my face. When I acknowledge her, she draws away and sits down again—she was leaning over the table. "Are you okay? You've been zoning out."

"Sorry, I heard Fenrir again."

"Again?"

"Yeah, she's been talking to me a lot. And I'm _not_ crazy!" I tell her with a glare.

"Fine, whatever. Then what'd she say?" Arche still sounds like she doesn't believe me... She's so infuriating!

"We need to keep gathering our powers, and she can watch over Ami and Milard." ...Should I tell them about Lynn coming back? Ami would like to hear that... "...And there may be a way to bring Lynn back. She hasn't told me how yet, but..."

"Really?!" Ami stares up at me, excited.

"A way to bring..." Milard repeats, astonishment on her face. "But..."

"Wow... A goddess is actually talking to you?" Sheena asks. "That's pretty lucky."

"Yeah. She's saved me before, too. Here..." I take out the pendant and show it to everyone. "Lynn gave this to me... that's Fenrir's symbol."

Everyone leans over the table to stare at the thing. "Wow..."

"Chester, why didn't you show us this before?!" demands the witch.

"I didn't think it was important!"

"You've been using this to talk to a goddess!"

"You didn't believe me before!" Geez this girl is difficult! "Besides, it's probably a good thing I didn't show it to Klarth!" ...Maybe I shouldn't have shown it to these people, either!

"...Please excuse me," Milard says as she stands and walks out of the kitchen. Where's she going...?

"Anyway, now that we know what to do with Ami and Milard, we need to figure out what to do with Cless..." I point out. "We can't carry him around _and_ fight."

"Why doesn't he just ride on Noishe, like he's been doing?" suggests Genis.

"He needs to gather his powers, too," the younger ninja says.

"Can he gather his powers while asleep...?"

"Why not? Might as well take him with us and find out, right?" The half elf girl pauses. "Or do you not want to travel with Cless, even when he's asleep?"

"That's not what I mean! It's just... it'll be hard to protect him... but I suppose it'll be safest to take him."

"Protect him? Chester, a week ago you were trying to kill him!"

Has it really been that long? "...I'm not going to let Klarth or those knights get a hold of Cless! He saved me..."

_"Are you sure that's what it was?"_ Fenrir's voice speaks up again.

What do you mean?

_"Maybe it was guilt for what he did to you before."_

...What exactly happened?

_"Are you sure you're ready to know?"_

Yes. I am.

Morrison's house vanishes and someone pulls me to my feet. I'm in that room...! The one in the castle—where Curt had been waiting for us! But now there are a bunch of knights sitting below the platform... My arms are tied behind my back, and two knights are holding me, with a few more around me. There's Curt Gimli... he's watching over the thing. Even the king's here...! He's old, with neat gray hair and a beard. On his head sits a large, golden crown with rubies and diamonds. His fur cape is long and purple, cushioning him in his red seat. His clothes are multiple colors—orange, yellow, green, black—all dark shades. His fingers are covered in rings with jewels of all sort to show his wealth, and around his neck hangs many golden necklaces. And... there's Cless! He's standing on the stage, his sword drawn.

My body aches... I probably couldn't stand if not for the knights holding me up...

"Your Majesty, if you will allow the knights to release their hold on the commoner, I promise you a good show," Gimli says, his rough voice speaking kindly to the king.

"Very well. Knights, you heard him."

The arms release me and I start to fall—I throw my left foot out to keep myself up and try to move my arms, but they're still tied behind my back. I look up at my best friend, who's still standing in the same place he was before, his grey armor shining brightly in the light of the stage. "Cless..."

"Chester... are you ready?" His grip tightens around his sword and he charges toward me, attacking. I draw back, barely dodging the sword—he swipes again, cutting my arm. "Cless!"

"Tiger Blade!" His sword strikes me upward, knocking me into the air—he jumps, swiping down and then up—I fall to the ground.

Ow... I can barely move... Here he comes! I roll out of the way at a stab—that could've killed me! I try to push myself up, but my legs can't stand—no! I'm sitting up now, and Cless looks like he's about to charge. "Cless, don't do this! You're... you're better than this!" He charges; I force my legs to jump up, and his sword goes right in between my legs. As he draws it back, I stumble away. Where's the exit?! No... there are knights blocking it! I'm surrounded by knights on all sides! I turn back to Cless, who's charging again. "Cless—STOP!" This one hits the side of my stomach, and I run again.

"Demon Fang!" The blast hits the back of my legs, almost making me fall again. There's no escape... but I can't let Cless kill me! He's better than that... I won't let him fall to that level! He's my best friend...

I charge at a knight in an attempt to attack him with my body. The knight easily moves out of the way and I hit the wall.

I hear footsteps behind me—Cless! "It's pointless to try attacking someone else. Why bother? If you want to die so badly, you shouldn't run," my friend says coldly. I push myself off of the wall and run again as I hear his sword stab the stone. As I run, I trip, but I somehow manage not to fall—if I fall, I may never stand again. ...I'll probably die anyway, but that's not the point. There has to be something I can do...

As I continue running from Cless, the king laughs and claps. "You're right, Captain Gimli! This _is_ a good show! That silly commoner looks like a rat trying to hold on to its last thread of life..."

"Or prey running from its predator, Your Majesty," Gimli suggests.

How dare they...! Ack, need to focus on Cless—his sword just hit my right arm. He sweeps around and hits my leg next; unable to stand any longer, I lean against a wall.

"I guess... this is it..." I can barely speak, I'm breathing so hard... my body's never been in this much pain before... "Cless... don't... don't lose yourself..." He draws his sword back, preparing for the finale. How'd it all lead up to this...? Ami, Lester-sensei, Suzu, Mint, Arche... none of them know what's going on... I wish I could see them all once more, to die with them around me instead of a dark, gloomy place like this... killed by my best friend's sword...

Arche... please don't be sad...

"This is the end, Chester," Cless says coldly. I wince as the sword approaches at a terrifying speed—

I wake up. Where am I...? I pull myself up into a sitting position. Cless is lying in the other bed in this room...

"Hey, Chester! You okay?" Arche leans over me, her face close to mine. Startled, I fall back into my bed—she giggles.

Oh that's right! I'm at Morrison's... Fenrir was showing me the past... it seemed so real, though... And come to think of it, Arche _was_ sad about my supposed death, wasn't she...? But why'd I want to say that only to her? What about the others?

"Chester?"

"I'm fine. What happened?"

"You suddenly fell asleep at the table—you fell right out of your chair. Milard heard the noise and came to help... she's the one that carried you up here. She and Genis are searching for medicine now."

"I'm not sick."

"Milard said you might not be, but it doesn't hurt to make sure," explains the witch.

"It's probably exhaustion," another voice speaks up—I didn't even notice Suzu! She's leaning against a wall.

"I said I'm fine." I sit up again. Should I tell them about the dream? ...Cless is their friend, so they should at least know what he did, right? "...I had a dream about the past... about how I got hurt and ended up with amnesia." Both girls look interested and give me their full, undivided attention. "Close the door," I order, and Suzu does so. My eyes fall on the unconscious swordsman. "Cless really _was_ the person who attacked me... there were lots of knights there, like it was some sort of ceremony..."

"But you were kidnapped by bandits!"

"Maybe the bandits _were_ the knights," I suggest. "The king was there—he was enjoying the show. He was enjoying watching me run around, trying to dodge Cless' attacks."

"But Cless wouldn't attack you...!"

"Well he did! ...But even when he was attacking me, I believed in him. 'Til the very end..." I stare at the ground, silence engulfing the room. "I was foolish to."

"He was your best friend..."

"He almost killed me! He didn't mean for me to survive—I could tell. He was trying to kill me... and I thought I'd die there..." ...Many people _did_ die in that room... that's why it's stained with blood... All of the students in that line, in the jail cell... all of the people on the beach... maybe more... And Lynn, too...

The bed presses down a little—Arche sat down next to me. "But you're alive, aren't you?"

"Yeah... but Lynn isn't. We need to get our powers back so we can resurrect her!"

"Chester, don't push yourself. Otherwise you'll strain your weak body too much!"

"...What was that?!"

"You heard me!" Arche says with a mischievous grin. "Wuss!"

Arche... is she trying to cheer me up? She chose a very irritating way to do it! "Stupid!"

"Doofus!"

"Sluggish girl!"

"Lousy boy!"

"Moron!"

"You lose!" she cheers happily.

"Wait, _what_? What'd I lose? And _how_?"

"It's a game! Someone says a word, such as 'wuss,' and the next word has to start with the last letter of that word, like 'stupid,'" the witch explains.

"...You dork. You can't just start a game like that and not tell me!" I yell. This girl is so difficult...

She giggles in response. "You were doing pretty well on it for not knowing!"

Genis enters the room holding a small container that shakes with pills. "I brought some medicine."

"I'm fine," I say. "So what's the plan? Where are we going next?"

"We're going to leave Milard and Ami here, in Fenrir's care. She's a wolf goddess, right? I think she's outside," explains the young boy. "Sheena and I are headed to Japoni... we have to get Lloyd and the others out, no matter what! And Suzu said that you're group's going to the rest of the summons, right?"

"Yeah..." That's right, most of our group got captured... because of Klarth... "Are you sure you'll be all right attacking the castle again? They'll expect it, won't they?"

"Why do you think we're going to Japoni? We'll come up with a much better strategy with the help of the ninjas. We'll probably hide out there for a little while, so make sure to drop by, okay?"

"...What are you going to do if you run into Klarth?"

"If he's really against us, we'll just have to fight him..." After a pause, Genis says, "Anyway, there's nothing we can do about it now except keep moving on. You three should probably figure out where you're going next. Come downstairs when you're ready!" He hurries out of the room, leaving the rest of us in silence.

"They're just going to keep trying...? And what if they get captured...?" I don't understand...

"There's not really much else they can do," the girl next to me points out. "They lost most of their group..."

"I thought we were their top priority..."

"That's not all of it." Suzu pushes herself off of the wall and walks over to us. "They hold some valuable information... information the king wants. They will be tortured beyond imagination until the king gets what he wants to know."

What?! "That's... that's terrible!"

"How can they do such a thing?!" demands Arche.

"Suzu, do you know what information they want?"

"I know only minimal about it. All I know is that it has to do with Dhaos."

That's right! They're working for Dhaos, aren't they?! "Just who is this Dhaos...?"

"He is the Demon King we beat in our past lives," answers the ninja. "He was a man who could transcend time and space and fought with humans numerous times. He destroyed old Midgard, controlled people to become his pawns, and sent his monsters to fight humans."

Wow... he did a lot of bad things... so they why are Kratos and the others working for him? They don't seem like they're controlled...

"But..." Suzu continues, "...that's just one perspective."

"What do you mean? He did all of those evil things, didn't he?"

"But _why_ did he do all of those things?"

Why... that's a good question...

_"That's what I'm asking you to figure out."_ I... remember something... It was at school, in Klarth's classroom... we were working in groups... We asked Klarth for help... _"When you look at a situation, whether in history or today, you can't limit yourself with only the popular point of view. You have to think outside of the box and come up with reasons. If you just believe what people tell you, you'll be narrow-minded and only see what people _want_ you to see. As Edward D. Morrison said, 'If there is evil in this world, it lurks in the hearts of man.'"_

_"But I don't understand how this'll help. We don't know what the Demon King was thinking..."_

_"This is an exercise that'll allow you to think from someone else's perspective. Be creative—what sort of things would make _you_ fight all humankind?"_

Klarth... maybe he's right... maybe I should consider his reasons... he has his own perspective, right...? I'll have to confront him when we meet up again... I can't forgive him for what he did to us, but... I just _have_ to know why...

"So then, where should we go next?" Arche asks.

"I've only been to Volt and Origin..."

"Oh, that's right... Let's see, I've been to Efreet, Origin, Gnome, Volt... Oh! Come to think of it, I learned a new power at home in Lone Valley..."

"Yeah, that's one, too," I say. "I've been there as well. I've been to all the same ones as you plus Undine."

"Well we're close to the Cavern of Spirits and Lone Valley, so why don't we stop by those places for Suzu-chan first?"

"After that we can go to the Limestone Cave for Undine!"

"Do you know where any others are?" questions Suzu.

"Klarth said before that Maxwell was in Morlia Mineshaft and Luna in... the Tower of the Zodiac, I believe. Do either of you know where those are?"

"Who _doesn't_ know where Morlia is?" Arche says matter-of-factly. "Oh, except those with amnesia. Whoops, sorry!" She grins roguishly.

"Shut up!"

"The Tower of the Zodiac is said to be between Olive and New Midgard," Suzu speaks up.

"So that'll take us to two more... I think there are only two left after that."

"Yep! Shadow and Aska, light and dark! No one knows where they are, though..." The witch fades out, thinking about this dilemma.

"We can check for Shadow in the town of eternal darkness," suggests Suzu.

"Ooh, you mean Arlee? That's a great idea! Ah, maybe he's in the castle! We'll take a tour of that!"

"Castle? I thought the only castle was in Alvanista."

"There's one near Arlee, though it's more of a museum," explains the half elf. "It's where we fought Dhaos for the last time... the ruins of it are still there, and they've made a museum of it. Heh heh..." She has an impish look on her face...

"You're planning on telling them that we're the heroes, aren't you? The last thing we need is more attention, you realize..."

"Oh come on, it'll be fun to have fans, don't'cha think?"

"Who needs that kind of thing?!"

"What?!" She glares at me, and I glare back. She then turns away and says nonchalantly, "Oh, you don't have anything to worry about anyway, I doubt you'd get any fans."

"What was that?! At least I wouldn't be noisy and stuck-up like _some_ people!"

"Like who?!" she demands, fuming.

"I wonder!"

"Onii-chan..." a soft voice calls from the door. Ami! I stand up and walk over to my little sister.

"Is something wrong, Ami?"

"Onii-chan... I... I don't want you to go!"

"What? But I can bring Lynn back this way..."

Ami stares at the ground, tears forming in her blue eyes. "But what if... what if _you_ die...? You're the only family I have..."

Ami... she must be going through a hard time as well... What can I do to cheer her up...? I squat down to her level. "Then let's make a promise."

"A promise?"

"That's right. I'm not gonna die 'til I at least get to beat up your first boyfriend!" I joke with a crooked smile.

"Ah! Onii-chan! That's mean!"

"At least I won't die, right?"

"I won't let you do that!" I hold my arm up in defense from her little fists while laughing. "I'm going to marry Cless! And you're not beating him up!"

"You like Cless?" I didn't see that coming!

Ami stops attacking me. "But you knew that..."

"Chester has amnesia, remember?" Arche says deviously. "He's doing pretty good to remember all of our names! He even calls me 'Archer'... He's got it down perfectly!"

"Hey! Enough with the amnesia jokes!" Arche grins in response. I really hate that girl! Ami laughs. "It's not funny!" Arche joins her... well, at least Ami's happy now... But I have to get the witch back for that! "Yeah, yeah... At least I'm not a PMS-ing girl!"

"What was that?! I am _not_...!"

"Then why have you been so moody recently?!"

"What do you mean?!"

"First you're happy, then you're angry, then you're normal, then angry again, then worried, angry yet again, devious, upset, sad, happy, oh wait, angry again, annoying, serious, kind—only for a short time—then a complete _brat_ like usual, mischievous, and guess what—angry again!" Oh yeah. She's definitely angry now. Hey wait, is she sparkling...? That's mana... Oh _no_! She's about to cast a spell! I jump to my feet and start running, pushing Ami out of the way.

"FIRE STORM!" Did she _have_ to use that one?! I hear the fire bellowing behind me as I dart down the stairs and out the door. Outside, the two canines stare at me like I'm crazy before noticing the blast of fire behind me—I can feel the heat from it quickly gaining.

"Fenrir!" I call out desperately to the black wolf. I hear her sigh in my head and—ack! I tripped!

The fire roars right over my head, missing me by only millimeters. I stay on the ground even after I can't hear it anymore, scared that there might still be fire above me. I hear something... it sounds like Arche flying on her broom...

"Jerk!" the half elf yells, and I finally look up to see her retreating back inside. Phew... I'm safe... I stand up and brush myself off. That was a close call!

Huh? Is Noishe... growling? He's growling at Fenrir?! "Hey, Noishe!" I walk over to the creature in an attempt to calm him down, but instead he snaps at the air. I draw back. Wow, he's really angry about something! I turn to the wolf, who Noishe is still glaring at. "Fenrir, did something happen?"

_"Noishe is an old friend,"_ answers the wolf.

"He doesn't look very friendly right now..."

_"I guess he's spent a little too much time in Derris-Kharlan."_

"Derris-Kharlan?"

_"Anyway, Noishe is a seasoned traveler. He knows this world better than any other living creature, so he should be able to help you in your journey."_

I stare down at the dog. Wow, really? He's been everywhere?

_"Well, you should probably head out soon if you want Lynn back. Resurrection has a time limit, you know."_

"Ah! No I didn't, thanks! I'll go get the others!" I spin around and run back inside, where Sheena and Genis are watching me. I jog upstairs... I hope Arche doesn't throw another spell at me... I enter the bedroom and say, "We need to get going."

Arche glares at me and sits on the bed defiantly with a little "hmph!" Well, at least it's better than a spell... The two kids stare up at me with nervous looks.

"Suzu, can you go get everything ready? And Ami, can you find Milard?" With something to do, the young girls hurry past me. I walk over to Arche, who looks even angrier than before. "Arche..."

"I hate you!" she yells. "I _really __really __really __really __really_ hate you! Jerk!"

"Yeah, well the feeling's mutual!" She's always so annoying! But... I guess I upset her... That's all I ever seem to do... "Look, we have to put up with each other for a little while longer, okay? After that, you can fly off to Lone Valley or wherever you want to go."

"When Lynn's alive again, you mean...?"

"Yeah."

"...I hate her."

Eh?! "What?! Why?!"

"I don't trust her."

"What?! How?! She _died_ back there for us!"

"And you're bringing her back to life! I'd say she has you wrapped around her little finger!"

"She does not! She's not like that!" I yell. I can't believe Arche would say such a thing... Lynn's not like _her_ at all!

"You're basing _everything_ off of her now! Do you really love her?!"

Is that what this is? Love? I guess it must be... "Yes! Yes I do! I want her back more than anything! You'd never understand something like that!"

"...I don't trust her," Arche mutters as she stares at the wooden floor.

"She's _much_ more trustworthy than _some_ people! Lynn was trying to help us... she was the kindest person alive!"

"'Kind'? Don't make me laugh! Maybe she was kind to _you_, but she always stared at me with calculating eyes, pushed me out of the way, made smart remarks with that 'kind' tone of hers... She treated me like dirt."

"What?! Lynn never did any of those things!"

"Are you really so blind that you didn't notice?! You depict her like she's the perfect little angel—well wake up, she's _not_!"

Arche... How dare she...! Lynn's a lot nicer and... Oh yeah, the triangle... now I get it... "You're just jealous, aren't you?"

"Wha—?! What would I be jealous about?!"

"Because I chose Lynn over you."

"Eh?! Don't flatter yourself! I hate you, remember?! I don't care who you go out with, I just don't like Lynn!" She stares at the unconscious swordsman before continuing, "Besides, I could find much hotter guys than _you_! I'd _much_ rather go out with Cless! Hey, I know! Maybe I can steal his first kiss while he's asleep!"

"Idiot!"

Instead of retorting, like I'd expect, she stares at the floor again, completely silent. After a moment, she says, "You need to get going, right? Go on without me."

What...?! "What do you mean?! You're not..."

"I'm not traveling with you any more!" she yells, glaring at me with her angry pink eyes. "I don't want to bring Lynn back, so I have no reason to go with you. I shouldn't have even joined you in the first place..." She slides her broom under her body and lifts up off of the bed.

"Arche, wait—"

"Goodbye, Chester." Her broom zooms out the window with amazing speed. I run over to the window and watch her retreating figure get smaller and smaller...

"ARCHE!" It's too late... she's not coming back... No, Arche left me, too... Is it because of our arguments...? "Arche..."

"Onii-chan, did something happen?" a soft voice asks from behind me. Ami and Milard are standing in the doorway...

"It's... nothing to worry about." I walk over to them. "Anyway, we're headed out now... stay with Fenrir, okay?"

"Okay... don't forget your promise, Onii-chan!"

I pat my sister's blue head. "I won't." I pick Cless up—he's heavy with all of that armor! Hm, this isn't quite working... I put his arm around my shoulder and half carry, half drag him out of the room and down the stairs. There I see the sisters saying their goodbyes. Suzu stares at me expectantly, most likely wondering where Arche is.

"Let's go. Arche... left the group."

"What?! But why?!" Sheena demands, surprised.

"She has different goals. It doesn't matter, it's her choice..." I trudge outside with the unconscious boy, where I stare at the sky. ...Maybe it _does_ matter... I kind of... want her to come back...

"Well, I guess we'll be seeing you later, then," says Sheena.

"Yeah... see you later."

"Bye!" Genis waves, and I lift up my hand to give a small wave.

"Take care," Milard says.

"See you later, Onii-chan, Suzu-chan!"

I droop Cless over Noishe, who seems to have calmed down now. Suzu wraps Klarth's pack around Cless' shoulders... hey, that's a pretty smart idea! "Let's go... to the Cavern of Spirits." Noishe begins walking, Suzu behind him. After one more glance towards the sky, I shake my head and follow my companions.

**Chester gained the title of Prey. It is a title given to one who is hunted to be killed.**

**Cless gained the title of Predator. It is a title given to one who hunts to kill.**

**Chester gained the title of Lost Romantic. He'd do anything for love...**

**Arche left the party.**

**Sheena left the party.**

**Genis left the party.**


	21. Unlucky One

**Disclaimer: I don't own Tales of Phantasia or Tales of Symphonia. Which means I don't own Yume ****wa**** Owaranai (the song in this chapter) or Suzu's Sweet Tooth title. They're all owned by Namco.**

**--Unlucky One--**

We walk towards the cave in complete silence besides Noishe's panting. Cless is asleep, Suzu doesn't talk much, Noishe _can't_ talk... I want to hear someone's voice and talk to some, but I don't really know what to say... it's an awkward silence... Let's see, how can I break it...

"Hey, Suzu, do you know what Derris-Kharlan is?"

"Derris-Kharlan? ...I've heard something about it... All I know is that the king is interested in it. I don't really know what it is, though... Sorry." After another pause, she says, "Where'd you hear about it?"

"Fenrir mentioned it. She said that Noishe has been there..."

Suzu stops. "It's a place?"

"From what I could tell, yeah," I answer as I stop walking as well. Noishe also halts and stares back at us... I wonder if he knows what we're talking about.

"The ninjas have searched all of Aselia, though... It couldn't be on this world unless it's under the ocean or something...

"Is it a code name for something, then?"

"I don't know... Hey, Chester, have you ever heard of a Derris Emblem?"

"Not since losing my memory... why, what's that?"

"It's an artifact they found in Dhaos' castle," Suzu explains. "Maybe it has to do with Derris-Kharlan..."

"Dhaos' castle... that's not Derris-Kharlan, is it?"

"I don't know. We can explore it when we get there."

"...Yeah... We'll do that. Let's just get to the cavern for now." I start walking again, past the ninja. Noishe also starts up, staying in the lead. We enter the Cavern of Spirits with no problem, and inside we quickly fine the Clay Idols.

"It's the ninja! It's the ninja!" they cheer as they begin dancing. Suzu looks bewildered by this sudden attention and turns to me, not knowing what to do.

I laugh at the young girl's confused face. "Oh yeah, I forgot to mention, you're a celebrity here. You and Arche helped them out in your past life, and now they love you."

"O-oh... Um, hello..."

"Hey, can you take us back down to where Gnome used to be?" I ask the creatures.

"Sure! Follow us!" They lead us back down through the long cavern... I've seen it all before. It's just the same as before... dark, damp, many stairs downwards... I would just wait at the entrance for Suzu to return, but... it could be dangerous for her to go alone...

We reach the cavern where I met Gnome, and here Suzu stalls—she must be remembering something. The Clay Idols are running around... wait, are they playing tag? They _are_... Wow, I don't know whether that's weird or cute...

One of the Clay Idols jogs up to me and taps me. "You're it! You're it!" It then turns and dashes away.

"Wait, I didn't ask to play..." The Clay Idols are all near the exit out of this particular room, and I think they're sticking their tongues out at me... "Okay, you asked for it!" I start chasing after them, and the Idols scatter. I chase one to the left, which leads us through a door. This is another one of those areas with a path surrounded by water... I better not trip. At the fork in the road, the Clay Idol takes a left. Yes! A dead end! It tries to hide behind the stalagmite in the area, so I slowly walk up, a grin on my face. "You can run, but you can't hide!" I peak over the large stalagmite and reach a hand down, grabbing the little creature. "You're it!" The little guy laughs as he struggles in my grip. I let him go, and he dances around saying, "I'm it! I'm it! I'm—"

There's a loud roar that's enough to shake rocks from the high ceiling down around us. I jump over the stalagmite and cover the little creature next to me as water splashes around us, soaking me and taking a few of my arrows in its rapid current. When the water dies down, I spin around to see what's there.

Sticking out of the water is what looks to be an overgrown snake. It's tiny, bright scales are aqua, and its head is covered in white spikes that continue down its back. Its eyes are crimson and glare down at us, and a blood red tongue hisses out from between long, pointy teeth. Around it are long, blue tentacles popping out of the water.

I push the little Clay Idol back with one hand as I pull my bow off of my back with my other. "Get out of here. Quickly!" As it runs, I draw an arrow from my quiver and aim it at my enemy. "Thunder Blitz!" The arrow hits the creature and explodes into lightning, but the monster doesn't even blink. It opens its mouth and roars, sending another wave of water at me—I try to stay standing, but the current's too great—my body flies into the stalagmite behind me, the point hitting my back. Ow! That hurt... I shoot another arrow at it, lodging yet another into its scales. This isn't going to be easy... As I notch another arrow, the creature lunges at me, its ugly mouth wide open. I forget the arrow and jump out of the way, rolling on the ground—whoa! Almost fell in the water... The stalagmite that I was leaning on is now a mess of rubble. Well that's comforting...

As the snake draws its head back, I steady the arrow and shoot. Again, it doesn't seem to do anything...

Whoa! I'm being lifted off of the ground... oh no! One of its tentacles is wrapped around me... I struggle, trying to get out, but it's no use. It drags me out over the water. No... I can still shoot at it! I pull an arrow out and take aim. Wait, this time... I got it! I'll shoot for the eyes! I pull the arrow back... "Thunder Blitz!" Ack! Just before I released, the tentacle holding me shook... It's waving me around now... Oh no, my arrows! I put one hand over my quiver, trying to keep the rest from falling out.

"Chester!" That sounds like... Suzu! I can't see her—ah! It pulls me underwater... I'm not prepared—I don't know how long I can hold my breath! This hurts... I can't breathe, I can't breathe no matter what... I have to get out of here... I have to...

The thing's grip around me loosens, enough for me to get out. I immediately push myself up and start swimming as fast as possible. It's so dark... I think that's the surface! I burst above the water, coughing for air. Suzu's fighting the creature... she jumped on it and is attacking from its back.

Someone else breaks out of the water—wait, Suzu?! But she's up there fighting... and down here swimming... what?! "Suzu...!"

"It's Mirror Image. I'm the real me, and that one's the fake. Come on, we need to get to land before it notices us." The ninja begins swimming to the little spit of land I had been fighting on. I swim after her, and we both quickly pull ourselves up on the land. The fake Suzu goes flying off of the monster, and as it hits the cavern wall, it vanishes into thin air.

"I'm glad that's not the real you..." I mutter as I grab an arrow—many of them are on the ground, but luckily, they don't look damaged. I notch it in my bow and aim up, higher than the creature's head. "Wild Rain!" As my arrows fall down around the monster, a few hitting it, Suzu throws a dagger—"Merciless Thunder!" The dagger lodges into the creatures head and explodes into lightning. At our attacks, the creature finally lets out a little yelp in pain. All right!

It charges its head forwards again, and I jump up, aiming my bow down without an arrow. "Eagle Shot!" The blades of wind cut through the monster's skin. Suzu's on top of the creature, stabbing it. As it thrashes its head back, Suzu jumps off, doing a back flip—one of the tentacles hits her, making her lose her perfect balance. I reach up and catch the young girl as she falls in my arms. I set her down and pull out another arrow... I'm running short on arrows! I need to get all I can out of these last few... I charge up lightning energy, and the arrow begins sparking. "Thunder Blitz!"

As my arrow hits, Suzu jumps to the side of it, slicing through its scales with her dagger—as she reaches the wall opposite of us, she puts her feet on it and pushes off the wall, back towards the creature. She slashes through on its other side before—err, she's a little short on that jump... She falls into the water. "Suzu!" The monster glares down at where Suzu fell, maroon blood gushing from its long, snake-like body. I aim another arrow and shoot at its eye; the monster lurches back before turning its attention back to me, furious. I see Suzu surface as I reach for another arrow—ah great. I'm out. There are some more on the ground... next to the edge of the water closest to the beast. Great... Well, I can still use one or two more Gale Shots before I'm out of energy... As the creature swings a tentacle at me, I jump above it and take aim. "Gale Shot!" Suzu climbs out of the water. Good...

As the ninja stands up and prepares her daggers, something aqua dashes past us... Noishe! He slams into the monster, knocking it against the cavern wall. The creature screams as they both fall into the water. "Noishe!" Wait, where was Cless?! I glance around to see him lying near where we entered this area, all of the Clay Idols surrounding him. Still asleep... I turn my attention back to the water. Noishe is now dog-paddling over to us, and there's no sign of the monster. I glance down into the water, which is starting to turn crimson... The overgrown snake is lying in the water, dead.

I allow myself to fall to the ground, exhausted, while Suzu helps Noishe out of the water. Suzu pats the dog and they both walk past me... Ugh, I guess I should follow... Fine. I force myself up grab the three arrows on the ground; I follow the other two fighters back to Cless and the Clay Idols, where the ninja sits and the dog lays down. I also sit, pulling some apple gels out of the pack on Cless' back. I offer some to Suzu, who gladly accepts and begins snacking. I start munching on one as well. While we rest, the Clay Idols are dancing and cheering, offering us smooth pebbles in "honor of our victory over the big bad evil snakey creaturey thingy"... Haha, I can't help but laugh at that! I've never heard something so ridiculous before! We decline the gift of pebbles, but they stuff some into our pack anyway. Oh well, I guess we might as well humor them... These creatures remind me of human children, the way they act... Well, human children that _aren't_ Suzu... seriously, does that girl _ever_ show any emotion? She's not laughing or anything... she's just quietly eating, observing the Clay Idols.

"...Hey, Suzu, can we stop by Miguel? I'm almost out of arrows..." She gives a slight nod. And... quiet again. The Clay Idols are still dancing... I'd rather have one of them than this awkward silence! Or... maybe even _her_... No, what am I thinking? She'd just cause trouble, and we'd only argue more... It's probably better that she isn't here... so then why do I... miss her...?

"Are you ready?" the ninja asks as she stands.

"Yeah." I stand as well.

"We shouldn't linger too long... we have a lot of places to go."

"Right. Then help me with Cless..." Together, we lay him back over Noishe's back. The Clay Idols lead us out, bouncing the whole way. As we walk into the light, they wave and make us promise to return. We walk back to Miguel in silence, crossing the bridge and following the stream through the forest. In town, I hurry to the weapons shop, where I buy a quiver full of arrows. _"You used to make all of your arrows, you know."_ Klarth told me that... I guess I'll start making some every night. Then I won't need to worry about running out like that... or running low on money because of my arrows. I meet Suzu and Noishe at the northern exit of the town, and we continue our journey. "Where are we going next?" I ask.

"Lone Valley."

Lone Valley... that's... Ack! That's where Arche's house is... What if she's there? Suzu leads the way across the hilly green landscape, either not knowing or not caring that that's where Arche lives...

Again, the walk is pretty quiet. We rest at the top of a small cliff with a dark, withered tree... the cliff overlooks the city of Euclid; we decide to eat here... I offer to cook, but Suzu ends up doing it anyway. I help create the fire, and before long, she serves up french toast. Huh, what's this brown thing in it...? And this white powder...? The ninja begins eating with some of the plastic silverware we brought. I pour syrup over mine and then cut a piece. I slowly take a bite.

Wow, it's really sweet! This is chocolate and flower on it... it's surprisingly good, too! It tastes almost like a snack... I wouldn't have thought of trying something like this. "It's really good, Suzu!" I complement, but she doesn't even notice—she's too busy eating. Wait, she looks _happy_... Does she... like sweets? Heh, I guess she's just a kid after all! I'm glad to see her happy about something... She really needs to learn how to open up and show her emotions a little.

After eating, we pack up camp and kill the fire. We head down the cliff, on the opposite side of the valley than where we entered. Just a little further... Ah, and here are some enemies. A pair of large birds—I shoot out the wings of one of them while Suzu fights the other. "Hell Pyre!" With that shot, it dies, its feathers burnt. I turn around to find that Suzu has finished hers as well. We continue our trek.

We walk straight past the city of Euclid and across the bridge to its east. We follow the beach north only a short while before arriving in Lone Valley.

Arche's house is right up front... I don't see anyone outside, luckily. Why am I so worried about it? She knows we have to come here... I take the lead and march past her house, not looking anywhere but straight ahead. I keep walking straight, following the curves of the valley. At the first entrance to the cave, I enter. We hurry up the steps and to the right. It's been a while since I've been in here...

"Merciless Thunder!" I hear lightning explode to my left and turn that way to find a basilisk. That's the creature that turned Presea into stone last time...! I pull out an arrow and shoot—it hits, but the creature opens its large mouth and shoots a laser at me. It hits, knocking me back. I pull out another arrow and shoot, while Suzu continues fighting it up close. I shoot an arrow right into its mouth—it coughs up blood before it stops moving... We continue walking.

At the end of this path, I see the rope Morrison tied to the rock... Oh wait, Noishe won't be able to climb down, and I can't just leave Cless here unguarded... figures. "Suzu, I'll have to stay up here to guard Cless and Noishe. When you get down there, just follow the path, and you'll go left..." I know these aren't the best directions, but I can't really remember exactly how the path twisted...

"Understood. I'll be back shortly." She grabs the rope and slowly climbs down, while I take a seat. We already have a lot of hardships... I hate to split up like this, but we can't let them take Cless... I yawn. This is boring... I hope Suzu's not having any trouble down there. Maybe we should've used our cell phones to communicate, so I'd at least know what's going on...

Soon enough, the rope moves a little. I glance down to notice Suzu climbing back up. Good, everything's okay... "You get it?"

"Yeah." She's climbing up rather quickly... she's a really talented kid!

"Efreet!" The fire summon suddenly appears next to me, holding up a ball of fire. Balls of fire shoot downwards at—oh no! The rope! I reach down to grab it, but I miss—the rope and Suzu both fall into the darkness.

"Suzu!" I call down, but below I hear her crash into the ground. Oh no... Efreet disappears, and I follow his red, fiery energy to the owner of the pact: Klarth. "Why did you do that?! She was defenseless!"

"I'm taking Cless. Either you can hand him over or you can die like the girl," the summoner says coldly.

I pull out an arrow and notch it on my bow, taking aim. "Sorry, I don't like either of those options!"

"Stubborn..." He begins concentrating on another summon.

"Wait, Klarth! I want to ask you something!" He stops and stares at me, surprised. "Why... why are you doing this?! Why did you betray us?!"

"You mean you want a reason?" Hey, he sounds a little _too_ surprised...

"Yes! I do!"

"To save Aselia. You don't need to know any more than that."

To save Aselia...? But... "I don't believe you. If you were doing things for good, you would've consulted us!"

"Would you be willing to make the sacrifice?" Klarth asks seriously. "In order to save Aselia, something else must be lost. ...I don't think you could handle that."

"What do you mean?" I ask, relaxing my grip a little. I can't tell if he's telling the truth or not...

"Are you saying you wouldn't mind sacrificing people for the sake of this planet? Would you be okay with that, Chester?"

He means Cless, doesn't he? No... I couldn't just hand Cless over for him to die, whether I like him or not! "What if there's a way without sacrificing people?"

Klarth begins laughing.

"I'm being serious!"

"Wake up, Chester. The world isn't that perfect. You should already know that it's easier to lose than to gain... This world will die without Martel, and we're going to bring her back and make sure she never leaves again."

Martel... Fenrir asked me to bring her back... "I'm trying to bring Martel back, too... But I'm going to do it without sacrificing anyone!"

"...I'm bored with your silly ideals. I'm taking Cless now," Klarth says as he begins walking forward.

I tighten my grip on my bow and aim it at him. "Don't take another step!"

He stops. "I thought you didn't want any sacrifices."

"I'll fight you... I won't let you hurt anyone else!" Even as I say it, my hands tremble a little. This is Klarth I'm talking to... He was my friend... he's helped me out so much... When I couldn't turn to anyone else, he'd always be there... I try to steady my hands, but it doesn't help.

He begins walking again.

"I said don't move!"

"You wouldn't shoot me," Klarth says confidently as he walks straight towards Cless.

He's right... but I can't let him know that! I aim the arrow enough in front of him so it won't hit and release. He finally pauses and turns to me, surprise on his face. "I said don't move," I repeat as I pull out another arrow and aim at him again.

"Wow, you have more guts than I expected! Still, a wasted effort... I know you won't hit me with one, no matter how much you threaten."

No... It didn't work!

Now he's walking towards me, though being how I'm right next to a growling Noishe and Cless, it doesn't make much of a difference. "You won't kill me, Chester," the summoner says. "After all, I'm the closest thing you have to a father, aren't I?"

He knows?! He's right, too... I hate this! Holding his book in his left hand, he lowers my bow with his right hand. "Klarth... don't do this..." I should pull my bow up, but I can't... it's pointless to, anyway... The threat doesn't work on him...

"I don't know what he's thinking, putting his trust in you..." Klarth mutters. "You couldn't do anything anyway... Still, I won't let you get in the way any longer."

I see a glint of metal—a dagger?! I dodge back out of the way, and the dagger cuts through the side of my right arm. I wince, barely managing to keep a hold of my weapon. Now his book is under his left arm, and his left hand holds the dagger—he switches it to his right hand and slowly walks towards me again. I try to back up, but the cavern wall is behind me. No... this is just like what happened with Cless...

"Crow Blade!" Klarth spins around just in time to hold his arm up to block against Suzu's attack. He stumbles backwards, causing his hat to fall off; his is arm bleeding, and Suzu lands gracefully on the ground.

"Suzu! What took you so long?!" I demand.

"I had to find another way up," she explains. "Sensei! It _was_ you, wasn't it?! You took Origin and the Eternal Sword in Treantwood... and attacked me..."

"That's right. Honestly I would've liked something more direct... but I guess it works out better this way."

What is he talking about?! This isn't making any sense... And who put their trust in me...? I don't understand at all... I wish he would explain...

"But why didn't you just take it then? You had plenty of chances to run with it. Why wait?" Suzu asks. "Curt could've stolen it and we wouldn't have known your true intentions—why give it to us?"

"...Why bother taking it then? I could have it at any time, especially with it in Chester's hands. Besides, I didn't have your trust yet, Suzu."

"So it was all to gain our trust?!"

"...No, not all of it. Anyway, I'm tired of this small talk..." He puts the dagger up and holds his book out. As he concentrates, the pages of the book flip and a large green circle of light appears under him. He flinches for some reason and the light disappears before reappearing.

"Let's go!" Suzu slides under Klarth and begins concentrating. "Shadow Storm!" The leaves swoop us up, and next thing I know we're in a city... is this Venezia? It is... Suzu breathes easily.

"Hey, why don't we just warp everywhere?" I ask.

"It's not that easy. I can't warp that far—though the power I got at that place seems to have increased my range. Second of all, it takes a bit of energy, so doing it constantly would drain me. And finally, it's lazy not to walk when you can. You can train more and build up your endurance by walking."

I didn't need a lecture... I was just curious...

"Let's find a boat." We walk to the harbor, Noishe following obediently behind us. Wait a second... Klarth's hat is in his mouth! I stop and pat the dog, taking the hat out of his grip. Klarth betrayed us, but... I don't want to let this go. I strap it on to the back of the pack. There... I take an apple gel out of the pack and stuff it in my mouth, and my arm begins to heal. Now then, the harbor... but last time we went to the Limestone Cave, we didn't go to the ships over here...

"Wait, Suzu. This way," I command as I head for the plaza. There was a path behind the plaza... ah, here it is. I follow the path past the ferry and to a large ship. I walk up the ramp and look for the captain... He's to my right. "Excuse me, Captain."

"Yes? Ah, adventurers... Are you looking to travel?"

"Yes."

"Where to?"

"Do you go to the Limestone Cave?"

The captain grins. "You've come to the right place. This is the only ship in Venezia that goes to dangerous places like that... That'll be 200 gald per person and 300 for pets, bringing you to a total of 900 gald."

Wow... these things cost a lot... I hope I have enough... Yes, I do. I hand him the money.

"Thank ya. Feel free to relax along the way." He turns and walks to the front of the ship while we go below deck. This is the same ship... the same one Jerald died on... I walk into the bar area and take a seat. I seem to have lost the others... I hope Suzu's watching over Cless.

While there were lots of people last time, there's no one this time... I order water and some meat stew. It's starting to get pretty late... I guess we'll get Suzu's power here and then rest in Venezia for the night. Hopefully Klarth won't catch up with us...

...But what did he mean about saving Aselia? What must be lost? One thing's certain: if I let Klarth get his way, people will die... people already _have_ died for this... I don't mind fighting the knights, but I don't want innocent people to die, no matter what. And I can't even bring myself to fight Klarth... How am I supposed to stop him if I can't fight him?! And what's worse is he _knows_ I can't fight him... He knows... I have to get over this! I have to fight him... After all of the things he's done, how can I just let him walk away?! It's because of him that Lynn died in the first place, that our plan failed, and that Cless is unconscious... And he tried to kill me...! I have to fight him, for everyone's sake! Next time I _will_ shoot!

That's not all that bothered me... Who's putting his trust in me? And just what is he trusting me to do? _"I don't know what he's thinking, putting his trust in you... You couldn't do anything anyway... Still, I won't let you get in the way any longer."_ What am I supposed to do...? Klarth said I couldn't do anything, but I'll show him! I'll figure out what I'm supposed to do, _and_ I'll stop Klarth! I won't give up, no matter what!

...Still... maybe there's still some good left in him... If he's really trying to save Aselia, then he's working for the benefit of this planet, right? And not everything he did was just to gain our trust... So what was true and what was false? What am I supposed to trust...?

Soon after I finish my stew, Suzu enters saying that we've arrived. I leave a tip and follow her and Noishe to the surface, where I see the familiar cave in front of us. "Let's make this quick. I don't feel like getting soaked again..." I mutter as we walk towards the entrance of the cave.

Inside, I lead the way to the best of my ability... we went forwards and to the right a lot, right? This looks familiar... And there's lots of water. I really hope nothing big pops out... I hate wet clothes...

I hear the water bubbling to my right and take a step back, pulling my bow off of my back and an arrow from my quiver. Next to me, Suzu prepares her dagger. Not another large monster...

A small ghost—a Charona, I believe—pops out of the water. It stares at us with trembling eyes... is it a baby? It looks a _lot_ smaller than I remember the last ones looking! And it looks really scared... I sigh and return the arrow to my quiver. "Don't worry about it, Suzu. There's no point in fighting such a young creature." Suzu nods and we turn and resume walking. As we're walking, Noishe starts growling; I turn back to see what his problem is only to see fire all around us—we're hit by its fire spell. Ouch! That really hurt!

"Okay, that's it!" I pull an arrow back out and notch it, taking aim. Suzu rushes up to the thing at an amazing speed. "Ice Fang!"

"Crow Blade!" As she spins down on the creature, my arrow bursts apart, sending ice through its body.

...The creature doesn't look phased by our attacks. Ah great.

"Thunder Blitz!"

"Mirror Image!" Two Suzu's appear again and begin whacking at the creature, which starts punching her back. I shoot another arrow at it, which whizzes over the ninja's head and hits the creature dead-on. All right!

The Charona giggles as it continues fighting Suzu as if my arrow was a feather. Oh come on now! That's just not right! I shoot again.

The young girl flies back next to me, both her and her transparent version wiping their chin as they sit up. I load another arrow and pull it back to shoot. Ack, more fire! It engulfs us, and fire balls rain down on us. Ow ow ow... these hurt...

...And my arrow's broken. Figures. I pull out another and jump into the air, aiming below the creature. "Sonic Bash!" The arrow hits the ground below the ghost, sending stones flying into it. "We can't let it get off any more spells!"

"Right!" Suzu says as she throws an apple gel in her mouth and zooms forwards again. She and her transparent copy slash at it as fast as they can, while I send more arrows into it. The Charona hovers backwards, out of Suzu's range and dodging my last arrow. It stares at us with teary eyes, making me think of a sad dog...

The water begins bubbling again. Next thing I know, two more Charona come up, both of them four times the size of the small one. Uh-oh... this doesn't look good... "Retreat! Wild Rain!" I send the arrow up and it splits into more, raining on the three and giving Suzu and Noishe enough time to run. I follow behind them as fast as I can, my only goal at the moment to get away from the Charona family.

Whoa! During my running, I almost fell into a hole—I would have if Noishe hadn't latched on to my shirt! Suzu grabs my arm and helps me regain my balance, and I fall backwards, on to the ground. All three of us are panting, and Cless is still asleep, unaware of the danger around him. Geez, he's such a heavy sleeper that I'd think he was dead if I couldn't see him breathing!

Suzu's face goes blank—hey wait, did we make it to Undine? Where's the spirit, anyway? I should probably warn her about Klarth... I stare down into the hole. "Hey Undine, I'm back. You there?"

No answer. Has Klarth already been here...? "Undine?" Still nothing... there's no sign of life in the hole. I guess he's already taken her... Keh. Now he has another spirit to use against us...

"I'm ready," Suzu says.

"That was fast. ...Think those Charona are still waiting for us?"

"Probably. How 'bout I warp us out?"

"That'd probably be best... I don't think we'll get through the three of them easily."

Suzu begins charging up her spell and I stand up, patting Noishe on the head. "Shadow Storm!" With those words, we're warped to the port. Wow, that one went really fast! Three summons in a day... This is great! At this rate, Lynn will be back in no time! We board the ship, and as I go to rest below deck, the captain sets off. Noishe follows me, so I finally pull Cless off of him and lay the boy down on the bed. I pull the covers up around him... I wonder when he'll wake up... And I wonder what I should do while waiting to get back to Venezia...

What's this music? It sounds so upbeat... The voice, a female, sings, "Mitsukete your dream, koware, kaketa. Toki ni umoreta, sono chikara ni, kizuite. Mitsukete your dream, doko e, itemo."

...Hey wait, is that my cell phone? Oh, it is! I answer it. "Hello?"

"Onii-chan..." Ami's voice whimpers softly. "I'm scared..."

What?! Ami...! "W-what happened?! Is everything okay?!"

"Milard's hurt... she fell down the stairs earlier... I heard her arguing with someone earlier, but I don't know who... And... and she told me to run, and that I was in danger... I don't know what to do, Onii-chan!"

"Where are you now?"

"I'm at that large tree near the village..."

"Does anyone else know where you are?"

"N-no, no one..."

I need to get to her quickly! But... "Where's Fenrir?"

"Back at the mansion... Milard told me to go without telling _anyone_..." She sniffs a little... is she crying? She must be so scared...!

"Fenrir can protect you, though! I'll tell her to find you—don't worry, she'll make sure nothing happens to you. And I'll be back there as soon as I can, promise."

"Onii-chan!" she calls out. "I want to go with you! I'd feel safer being with you! Please..."

What should I do...? This journey's too dangerous, she could get hurt! And plus... "Ami... it's too dangerous. I can't protect anyone—the last time I tried, Lynn..."

Ami gasps.

"What's wrong?!"

"I... hear someone..." I'm pretty sure that's what she said... it was too hard to hear. No, Ami!

The ship rocks violently, making me fall and drop the phone. "Ami!" I reach out to grab it, but the ship rocks again and the phone slides out of my reach.

The door slams open and Suzu rushes in. "Chester! We're off course... the wind blew us too far in the wrong direction! And I think I saw an armored fish-girl..."

A fish-girl? Does she mean... Undine?! Ack! The ship rocks again, like it's hit by something hard, and we both fall back on the ground. A sword stabs the side of the ship near us, making water gush into the room. As the sword turns to make a larger hole, Suzu and I load Cless onto Noishe's back; the dog takes off running, Suzu behind him. I have to find my phone—Ami needs me! I'm knee-deep in water, which is quickly rising... Where is it...?

"Chester! Hurry up!"

I have to find it... The water's up to my belt now. There's someone else here—Undine! It _is_ her... which means... Klarth's doing this?! She raises up her large sword, a hurt expression in her eyes.

I jump back out of the way, which causes me to fall under the water. Ah, there's my phone! I grab it—ouch! It shocks me... No, it's too far destroyed... Ami, I'm sorry... I surface, only to find the water's climbed quite a bit. I won't be able to run... I spin towards the door and begin swimming as fast as I can, the level of water rising quicker than before. I don't see Noishe and Cless... Suzu's waiting for me, swimming in place. As soon as I get close enough for her liking, she turns and also starts swimming towards the exit. Was she... worried about me? That I wouldn't make it? Thanks, Suzu...

My head's touching the ceiling now, and the door to the deck is still far away... As the water climbs higher, I take a deep breath and dive underwater. I continue swimming forwards, Suzu doing the same in front of me. She reaches the stairs and goes above water. I'm almost there...

Something grabs my ankle; I spin around to find Undine stopping me. No, I'm so close! And I can't hold my breath much longer... I pull out an arrow and try stabbing her, though my actions are slowed by the water. Luckily, waving it in her face seemed to do the trick... she lets do, and I drop the arrow and continue swimming.

As I surface, Suzu grabs my arm and attempts to help me up. I'm coughing a lot, and the water's still rising... if I don't move quickly, I'll be underwater again! I hate water...

We run towards the front of the ship, which is rising as the back of it falls. Many sailors are up here, trying desperately to save their ship. The captain's here, too.

"Captain!" I call out as we run towards him. He stares at me with sad eyes.

"I'm sorry... there's nothing we can do... Please take an escape boat."

"But—"

"Captain!" a sailor cries out in the chaos. "We're going to hit the mountains!"

Good, that means we're close to land—

"Ahhhh!" we all scream as the boat hits the rock pieces start flying. I'm falling, though whether I'll hit land or water, I don't know... Everything's exploding around us. There's a piece of metal flying towards me—

**Suzu gained the title of Clay Idol Hero. Whenever the Clay Idols need help, she's there to save the day!**

**Suzu gained the title of Sweet Tooth. It is a title given to one who likes sweets.**

**Chester gained the title of Unlucky One.**** It just isn't your day, is it?**

**Suzu learned Mirror Image.**

**Suzu learned Shadow Storm level 2.**

**Suzu learned Omega Storm**

**Chester received Klarth's Hat.**


	22. Happy Man

**The first part of this chapter is dedicated to my middle school band teacher and the talk we had with her around the time I wrote this. Even though I'm in college now, my best friends and I still go to visit that teacher. She's awesome!**

**Also, I hope you're ready for explosions! This chapter features Arche vs. Klarth! Have fun watching the magic casters duke it out!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of Phantasia or Tales of Symphonia. They are owned by Namco.**

**--Happy Man--**

"You're major's still undecided. What are you planning on doing with your life?" Lester-sensei asks. Cless, Mint, Arche, Suzu, and I are sitting in his empty classroom, just to visit. I have work soon, but... I still have some time to kill before that.

"Uh, well... I don't have to decide that yet! I still have two years before I need to worry about it!" answers Arche.

"Don't slack off, or you'll end up with no direction."

"I'm not slacking off!"

"...Then why are your grades falling behind?"

Ouch, that was harsh. Arche scowls. "Okay, okay... I'll think about it some."

"You should've already thought about it a little before choosing a college..." mutters our teacher.

"I want to do something fun, though! Work isn't fun!"

"It is if you find the right job," Cless inputs kindly.

"Yeah. What about the rest of you—I know your majors, but what are you planning to do with them?"

"I'm going to teach at my father's dojo!" answers the swordsman.

"I hope to be a doctor..." Mint says quietly.

"I'm a ninja."

"Suzu, do you even _have_ a major?" Lester-sensei asks. "Last I checked you were only here for my class..."

"That's correct."

Our history teacher sighs. "What about you, Chester? You're a humanities major, correct? What are you planning on doing?"

I was hoping he wouldn't ask... "I'm not sure. I'm interested in that area, so..."

He nods. "At least you're in an area you're interested in."

"Hey, I'll find something!" the half elf yells defensively. Whew, I'm off the hook!

"I'm sure you will. Just don't wait too long... You can't wait for your future; you have to reach for it. If you don't take action to reach your goals, then you'll end up somewhere you hate, with no life. You can't live life by a whim."

"Sometimes things are out of your control, though..." Mint mutters.

"Never think like that," orders Lester-sensei. "Even if things seem out of your control, there's always _something_ you can do. You just have to try—it's your life, after all. Only you can decide how to run it. If you want something, then all of you are smart enough that nothing's out of your reach."

Nothing...

"Hey, wake up you sleepy head!"

The classroom fades to black. I'm lying down, my eyes closed. No, I want to go back to that dream...

"I said wake up!" Someone pulls the covers off of me—it's cold in here! I reach for the covers and try pulling them back over me, but I'm fighting someone for them. Uhn... this is too much work... they can have the blankets... as long as I get to sleep...

"You shouldn't wake him..." a sweet voice says.

"He can't sleep all day! The rest of us have already eaten! Gimme that..."

"Wait, don't!"

Ow! Was that a pillow?! My nose...

"Get up!" The pillow slams on my face again, and when it goes back up I try to cover my face.

"Okay, okay! Stop hitting me!" I finally open my eyes—ack, it's bright! There's a light straight above me... I close my eyes again to shield out the light.

"Don't go back to sleep!" The pillow slams into my stomach. Ouch, who keeps hitting me?! I push myself up, opening my eyes.

"Stop—" Wait a sec. This isn't right... "I'm dreaming..."

"What's that supposed to mean?! I've been trying to get you _out_ of your dreaming!" she yells angrily.

I stare in her bright pink eyes. It's really... "Arche... you're back..."

"H-huh?! N-no, it's not that I..." Arche spins away, flustered. "Don't get the wrong idea! I wasn't worried about you or anything, I just happened to be visiting my friend, and you guys crashed here."

"Oh... right..." That's right, she doesn't want to help us... Why should I care, anyway? She'd just get in the way. I hate her, so it's better that we're not traveling with her anymore!

"Um..." the girl behind her speaks up as she steps forward. She looks to be a timid girl with long, brunette hair that flows neatly around her small body. He dress is green, but the bottom opens up to show a fluffy yellow area. Over her shoulders is a dark green shawl, and her boots are brown. Her eyes, also brown, seem nervous. "There's some food left for you, it just needs to be heated up. I'm sorry about your rude awakening..."

"It's not your fault." I stand up. "I'm Chester Barklight."

"My name's Rhea. Rhea Scarlet." We shake hands, and then she leads me out into the hall, Arche tagging along behind us. The hallway is really dark... and they seem to prefer candlelight over electricity. It doesn't take long to reach the kitchen—it's just down the hall from the room I was asleep in.

The kitchen and dining room are also dark; the floor's a dark brown tile with a dark green rug. The table is darker than the rug, and its four chairs all have soft yellow cushioning. The dining area is in the front, while the kitchen is just past it, partially separated by wall and partially left open. I take a seat at the table and Arche sits across from me. Rhea hurries into the kitchen, asking what I'd like to drink on the way.

"Some apple juice if you have any," I answer.

While she prepares my food, Arche and I sit in silence. This is kind of awkward... She suddenly left us, and now she's back, even if only for a short while... It was only yesterday morning that she left, but it feels like it's been ages... so much has happened... And now that she's here again, I kinda don't want her to leave... we need some of her noise on this journey... I don't want to tell her that, but if I don't, then she won't come with us...

"Arche—"

"Chester—"

We spoke at the same time, and now we've both paused.

"You go first," I offer.

"Ah, ah! It's nothing, really! You go!"

I don't want to go first... but I suppose I'll have to speak anyway. Might as well get it over with. "All right..." Er, what should I say...? "...How have you been?" This is kind of embarrassing... I'm too scared to ask her to join us again... Why? I've never had this much trouble talking to her before...

"Good! ...How's the journey going?"

"Good. We got three portions of Suzu's power in one day!"

"Wow, you've been traveling fast!" Arche says with a smile, but she seems kind of nervous about something. Does she feel as... distant as I do?

"Yeah..." I stare at the green table. I feel nervous for some reason... my heart's beating quickly... I'm scared to ask her to come back... but... I have to try... As much as I hate to admit it, I miss having her around... "You're not too bored on your own, are you?"

"Maybe a little. I don't have anyone to talk to or make fun of when I'm on my own."

Make fun of? I guess she'd mean me there... Gee, _thanks_! Sheesh... she's the same as always. "Then why wander on your own? If you need people to talk to, then..." ...you can join us again...

"I agree! I need some friends to travel with, so..." she glances at me with nervous pink eyes. Haha, she looks kinda cute when she's nervous!

I smile happily. "Welcome back, Arche!"

"Thanks!" She looks so happy... I'm glad.

Rhea returns with a hot plate, a cup, and syrup. "Sorry for the wait!" she says as she places everything on the table in front of me. On the plate are two waffles, along with a fork and a knife.

"Thank you," I say as I pour syrup on and begin eating. "Where's everyone else?"

"Cless is still asleep—don't worry, he's in the safest part of the house," Arche assures me. "Noishe and the sailors are outside, and... I saw Suzu earlier, but I don't know where she went off to."

"Everyone's okay though, right?"

"No one died," answers Rhea. "However, there are quite a few that are very injured... the servants are taking care of them now."

"Is this your house, Rhea?"

"Yes. Arche-chan has told me all about your amnesia... We've actually met before, but I guess you don't remember it."

"Oh... yeah, that's right." I continue eating. I guess we were pretty lucky to crash here... and to meet up with Arche again. I wonder exactly where this is... I guess before we leave, we'll have to ask Rhea to point us in the right direction. We're going to Morlia next, aren't we?

A female servant enters the kitchen with a cloth on her arm and stares at Rhea, surprised. "Madam, you're not in the secret passage?"

"No... why?"

"I-I'm sorry, I saw the door open and..."

Arche and Rhea jump to their feet. "WHAT?!" They rush out of the room. What's going on?! I jump up and follow them.

We rush down the hall, taking a right at the first intersection. This looks to be the main hallway... The floor is a dark stone with long, green rugs, and there are large columns with stone gargoyles making a path from the entrance to the house. Straight across from the entrance, on the other hall, is an open window with bright light shining through, hitting a prism. The prism distorts the light so that it shines in two directions, to two more large prisms—these point the beam of light to crystal balls. Straight across from me is another hallway, and to the right of the entrance are stairs leading down. The girls hurry down those stairs, and I follow. What are they so worried about...?

The basement is even darker, with a dark brown carpeted floor and stone walls. We hurry straight through the only passage available, but after that we reach a fork in the road: left or right. We head left, where we reach another fork. Again, we head left, and then right following the passage. We make another left and head through a set of sliding doors.

This room looks to be for experiments of some sort... There are science kits set up on either side of the room, and a strange circle in the middle of it. On the far side are a set of mirrors, and below them a bed is set up, where Cless sleeps. Standing over the bed is a man I know all too well: Klarth.

"Stone Blast!" Arche yells as she stands on her broom, and a bunch of medium-sized stones fall on the summoner; some look like they're going to fall on Cless as well, but the stones vanish before hitting him. Klarth spins around.

"Arche! _You're_ here?!"

"Yeah. You have a problem with that?!" she demands. "Look, I don't know exactly what's going on or what you're planning, but I'm not letting you take Cless!"

Arche... she attacked him... Suzu attacked Klarth as well... So why am I the only one who can't fight him...?

"Hm... fine." Klarth begins concentrating on a summon and Arche on a spell. Ah great, this _won't_ be pretty...

Rhea starts to go forward, but I put an arm out in front of her. "Stay back. Arche won't hit Cless, but I can't say the same about Klarth not hitting us."

"Thunder Blade!"

"Gnome!"

Their spells set off at the same time—lightning shoots from Arche's hands towards Klarth, while under Arche, Gnome missiles sprout up. Both sides explode, and dust covers the area—I can't see! "Arche!"

"Sylph!"

"Cyclone!"

Well, the dust blows away, but large tornadoes now engulf the two magic users, both of them battered with torn clothes from the spells. The wind violently tears at them, throwing bottles of unknown liquid all over the room. I push Rhea back and turn my back to protect her from the spells. As the wind dies down, I notice them both start charging spells again. They'll kill each other at this rate...!

"Tractor Beam!" This spell didn't take Arche as long to use! A large beam of light lifts Klarth straight up in the air, and he struggles, trying to regain his lost footing. When he's about to hit the ceiling, the light disappears and Klarth falls straight down on the ground, hitting it with a yelp.

"Haha! I told you, your summons are too slow!" Arche cheers. Klarth picks himself back up, brushing off his clothes.

"You were casting at the same rate I was!"

"Only with my higher level spells. If I just use low level spells, I have you beat!"

A blue light rains down in a cylinder—magic?! When it disappears, Curt is suddenly standing there. Why is _he_ here?!

"Klarth, let's retreat for now."

"But—"

"We found out where Martel is."

What?! No...!

Klarth nods and the blue light engulfs both of them; they teleport away. Well, at least we managed to keep Cless safe... Arche looks pretty beat up, though... Ah, oh no! She's starting to fall off her broom; I hurry forward and catch her. "Arche! Are you okay?!"

"Yeah, I'm fine," she says as she pulls herself up onto her feet. The door opens up behind us—Suzu?!

"There you are! We have to get out of here—there's a bomb!"

"WHAT?!"

Arche picks up her broom and sits on it. "Rhea, get on!"—the girl does so—"Let's get outta here!" The two friends zoom towards the exit while I pick up Cless. I start running as fast I can with the swordsman drooped over my shoulder—he really needs to lose some of this armor!

We hurry through the basement and up the stairs. "We need to warn everyone!" Rhea insists.

"We don't have much time!"

Rhea jumps off the broom and starts running. "Rhea!" The witch charges after her. Oh no...

"Rhea! Arche! Come back!"

"I'll help them," Suzu says. "You warn the people outside and load everyone onto a ship."

A ship? Just where are we?! And there goes Suzu... I can't chase after them with Cless, and the people outside need to know what's going on, too... I pull Cless outside. It's very foggy out here... I can barely see anything. It looks like there's an open gate ahead... I hurry to it; hey, there's Noishe! Perfect! The dog walks over to me and I lower the swordsman onto him. We run out the gates, but there's a steep cliff on the other side. Ah, there's a good slope on the left... We follow it down, and then down the stairs to a port. The sailors are all here. "Hey!" I call out to them, but none of them notice. "Everyone, listen to me!" They're talking too loud... All right then... I take a deep breath and bellow, "LISTEN UP!"

All of the sailors stop and turn to me, rendered speechless with awe. "There's a bomb here! We have to get away! Everyone on a ship, quickly!"

The captain takes over and starts guiding everyone to the only ship large enough to carry us all. I hurry over to him, while Noishe boards the ship. "Are there people still inside?"

"Yeah. Arche and the others are getting them out."

"All right, I'll get ready to set sail, then. Let me know as soon as everyone's on!"

"Okay." While I stand there, waiting, the captain runs up the ramp and on to the ship. Come on, girls... what's taking so long...? Should I go look for them? All of these people know what's going on now... Ah! I see a few more people running this way—servants by the looks of it. As they start to board, I see yet some more, servants now carrying injured with them. Rhea's with them, helping someone along the foggy path. When she reaches me, I ask, "Where are Arche and Suzu?"

"I-I don't know! They were right behind me..."

Oh no! "Tell the captain to start sail!" I order as I run past her.

"Wait, Chester-kun!"

I run past her and back up towards the mansion. Wait, who's that?! He has short, blue hair and his cloak is full black... He has wide shoulder guards over his bare arms, and his shoes are jet black with a splash of red. He holds his white gloved hands up and a magic circle appears... I hear Arche and Suzu yelp in pain. No...!

I pull out an arrow and notch it on my bow, aiming straight at the man's back. I gather up energy in the arrow... "Hey! Over here!" He turns around—"Ice Fang!" I yell as I release; the arrow charges straight at him and goes right through him.

"Omega Storm!" Suzu yells, and next thing I know, the man falls off of the cliff, towards me. I jump back out of the way as the man lies dying.

"She's... an... imposter..." he whispers before he stops moving. The girls stare down at me.

"Chester!"

"Hurry up! You two are too slow!" I yell, and they run down the hill. I wonder what the man was talking about... Oh well, I don't have time to ponder it! We race to the dock, where the ship has already started setting off.

A loud boom echoes behind us, and I feel someone grab me and pull me backwards—whoa! I fall onto the broom and Arche kicks up, me in front of her and Suzu behind her. Ow, this is uncomfortable... she didn't have to throw me on it like that! Within seconds we're landing on the ship, and I fall off of the broom.

"Brace yourselves!" someone yells; I manage to latch on to the rail just before a large wave hits the boat. I feel people grab me on either side—Arche and Suzu. Water splashes onto us, soaking me yet again. This makes the third time in two days!

The waves calm down, and everyone slowly stands and regains their balance. We stare off in the distance at the land that smokes from the flames that engulf it. Ah, I see now... we were on an island.

"Rhea, I'm sorry..." I hear the half elf girl say.

"Don't be, it's not your fault. I'm just glad everyone's safe... Thank you for helping me get everyone out, Arche-chan," her friend responds. "And you as well, Suzu-chan and Chester-kun!"

"...I'll go ask the captain where we're going," Suzu offers as she heads for the front of the ship. I sit down. Whew... I'm glad we're safe after that. Arche looks even worse off than before... Rhea leads her friend down to get some healing, leaving me alone. What should I do while waiting...? Boat rides are so boring... Oh! I guess I should get Cless off of Noishe... where'd they go...? I stand up and start walking around, looking for the dog.

It doesn't take too long to find him, and it looks like Cless fell off of him. The pack and Klarth's hat are against the rail next to them. I feel like a babysitter... why does he have to be such a heavy sleeper? I put his arm around my shoulder and drag him below deck. Now I just need to find the beds... usually they're at the end of the halls...

"Mint..." Wait, did Cless just say something?

"Hey, Cless! Are you awake?" No answer. How can he even sleep so long?! Geez...

Ah, here's the bedroom. I lay Cless down on a bed. Whew, I'm getting better at dragging him around at least! Maybe it's a good sign that he talked in his sleep... maybe he'll wake up soon. Huh... there's someone else in here. Isn't that... Auoun Gimli! What's _he_ doing here?! He's sleeping on another bed.

"Thor, you lughead... you left me behind..." Auoun mumbles in his sleep. Erm... maybe it'd be better not to ask...

I wonder what happened to Ami... Everything happened so fast that I haven't had time to even try calling her back... Ah, wait, I don't remember her phone number... that could be a problem. I know! I'll ask Fenrir... Wait, but how do I contact Fenrir? Usually she contacts me...

Hey, my pendant's warm! Fenrir?!

_"Ah, you're up. I've been trying to contact you for a while now,"_ the wolf says.

Is Ami okay?! Where is she?!

_"Don't worry, your sister's fine. She's here at the mansion again. She just got a little frightened, that's all... She's worried about you, though. What happened?"_

Oh, the ship I was on sunk... everyone's okay, though. Well, everyone except that weird guy who tried to stop us...

_"That's good. How has your journey been going?"_

Great! We got to three places in one day, so we have just four more to go... and I think Cless will wake up soon...

_"Wow, you're doing really well! I think I'll give you a reward..."_

A reward?

_"Well, something like that. You're trying _so_ hard, but you still won't make it in time to bring Lynn back like this..."_ Fenrir explains. _"I can bring her back now, but she'll be weaker and need to rest more. If not now, then there might not be enough time..."_

That's fine! Bring her back now, then! I won't let her die again!

_"It's in your hands, then... Hurry and regain the last of your power if you want her to remain in the land of the living."_

A dark distortion in space opens up, and in the darkness I see her—"Lynn!" I reach in, holding my hand out for her to take. She grabs it daintily, and I pull her out, pulling her into a tight hug. "You're back... you're really..."

"Chester...?" she whispers. It's so nice to hear her voice again...! "Thank you... for all you're doing for me..."

"No... I'm sorry for letting you die... I promise I won't let it happen again!" This time I really _will_ protect you... I promise.

"Um, Chester?"

Wow, this is the first time she hasn't used 'san' at the end of my name! I'm glad... "What is it?"

"I'm really hungry..."

Oh! I guess I should've thought of that! "H-hold on, I'll go get you something to eat! Just wait here!" I let go of her, my face hot, and hurry out of the room. Where's the eating area on this ship...? In here? No, more bedrooms... Here? Storage... Let's try this room. Ah, here it is!

Er... I forgot to ask her what she wanted to eat... What sort of food do you get for someone who's been dead?

"Chester, why is your face red?" Arche asks. Why are she and Rhea here...?

"You're not sick, are you?" questions the other girl.

"I'm fine." I mutter as I walk to the bar and browse through the menu. Maybe some type of stew or pasta...?

"Are you already hungry again? You just had something to eat!" Arche exclaims.

"This isn't for me!"

"Is Cless awake?!"

"No! It's for Lynn... she's back," I explain.

"W-what?! But I thought..." the witch falls silent.

"She's back, but she's weak right now. I'm getting her something to eat."

"Who's Lynn?" Rhea asks.

How should I answer her? A friend? Or... maybe I should say... "She's my girlfriend."

"Oh, really? I'd like to meet her!"

"Sure, I'll introduce you when I take some food to her!" Huh? Arche's walking off...? "Hey, Arche, where are you going?"

"No where!" she huffs as she storms out of the room. My heart falls. Arche and Lynn are both back... and I'm happy about that... but why can't they get along...? I wish Arche would accept Lynn... Why does she have to be so stubborn about it, anyway? Maybe it'll mend with some time...

"Why don't you get her some gratin?" suggests Rhea. "That's really delicious!"

"Ah, good idea! Um..." I turn to the waiter and say, "Could I get water and gratin?"

"Sure thing. Wait just a minute." He walks into the kitchen and Rhea and I sit down to wait. The man soon returns with a glass of water, but then he disappears again. We sit in silence... Why is everyone so quiet? Maybe Arche will help fix that... she's loud enough for ten people.

"Hey Rhea... Do you know why Auoun Gimli's here?" I'm curious... not that I mind, Lynn and Auoun are nice. I just don't like their brother...

"He was visiting my family on an errand for the king."

Ah, that would explain it... The server soon returns with the gratin. I guess Lynn's still back at—oh, she just entered. She sits down next to me and I pass the food over.

"This looks delicious!"

"You must be Lynn," Rhea says kindly, though I notice her flinch. Huh...?

"Yes. Who are you...?"

"Oh right. Lynn, this is Arche's friend Rhea. She found us after our last ship sunk," I explain, which causes Lynn to look even _more_ confused. "Wait, let me back up..." That's right, she doesn't even know about Klarth being a traitor yet! I tell her all about our journey since we lost her... Rhea and Lynn both seem really interested in the story.

"So how'd you escape from the monster?" Rhea asks when I tell them about the creature in the Cavern of Spirits.

"We killed it."

"Wow! That's amazing!"

"Well, Suzu kept jumping at it with her ninja skills and I was pelting it with arrows... Noishe even joined the battle, leaping at it with his claws."

I then go on to tell them about Lone Valley and our confrontation with Klarth.

"He's trying to save Aselia?"

"That's what he says. He didn't really explain, though..." I mutter.

"He might be trying to trick you," Lynn points out. "After all, if he was good, then why would he hurt his friends?"

"There might be more to it than that, though," argues Rhea.

Next I tell them about our trip through Limestone Cave and our trip on the sea. Rhea puts in her point of view for when she found us.

"I heard a large noise coming from the hills and I went to check it out... When I found the ship, I hurried home to get some help. We together we carried all of you back, and those who were awake helped. It was about then Arche was flying by... she was looking for you, you know. I'm not supposed to tell you this... but she was worried leaving you, Suzu, and Cless on your own."

"Really?" Wow... I never would've guessed... she seemed so angry before... But she was worried about us? Arche...

"So what happened next?" Lynn asks.

"Next?" Where were we again...? "Oh! Right, so Rhea found us... Well, next thing I knew I got a rude awakening from Arche. She joined us again... And then Klarth returned to kidnap Cless; we found him just in time. Arche and Klarth battled, using spell after spell against each other. Curt showed up in the middle of the battle and he and Klarth vanished, and just after that Suzu rushed in to tell us about a bomb. We had to get everyone out after that..."

"We split up and were able to get everyone out!" Rhea says proudly. "Though I still must wonder who left the bomb... It destroyed everything..."

Was it Klarth? Curt? Or was it that other man, the one that tried to stop Arche and Suzu...?

"And that brings us to here. I assume the captain's taking us to Venezia..."

"...Which means we'll have to catch another boat and head to Alvanista," I conclude. I think we've gathered all of our powers on the continent with Venezia... I wish I had a map or something... Wait, didn't I see one in Klarth's pack? I'll get that out later...

Lynn's happily eating her gratin. It's great that she's alive now... "How is it?" I ask.

"Huh?"

"The food."

"O-oh! It's delicious! Thank you, Chester!" Her smile is so kind and warm... It's great that she's alive again. It must feel great for her, too... I wonder what it's like to be dead. ...That really doesn't seem like a good question to ask. Oh well... Anyway, Fenrir must be really powerful to bring back the dead! But I wonder... why does she need me to gather my power? What does that have to do with Lynn's life? I don't quite follow... but I'll trust Fenrir. She chose me, right?

Speaking about that, I still need to find Martel... Curt and Klarth have me beat on that, though, which means I need to find her quickly! But where are the angels...? _Who_ are the angels...? I wish Fenrir had told me more... like where to find them.

As Lynn finishes her food, Suzu enters the room and walks straight towards us. "We've arrived," she announces. I pay for the food and we go up to the deck. From there, we get off of the ship. Did the servants already leave...? I see all of the sailors getting off of the ship, but not the servants... they must've been quick!

...Wait a second, this isn't Venezia! This port is different... The port is wider, and it curves with the land. Everything is brighter, yet the air feels somewhat chilly. There are many crates on the port and sailors walking around, all dressed heavier than in the other cities I've been to. Past the port are white houses with teal roofs. The stone streets are also light, and on the edges of them I spot a little bit of snow. "Where are we...?"

"Valhalla Port," explains the ninja. "I asked the captain to bring us here; we can easily head to the Tower of the Zodiac next." As she talks, I notice Arche and Noishe loaded with Cless, the pack, and the hat walk over to us. Noishe is growling for some reason...

"You can use our ship if you want," offers Rhea. "I talked to my parents about it earlier... You'll need a ship on your journey, won't you?"

"Wow, really? Thank you, Rhea!"

"Here, you'll need this." Rhea hands me something... A capsule...?

"What's this?"

"Don't you know _anything_?" Arche demands. "It's a wing pack. You can use it to store almost anything! Well, it has a limit, but..."

"It'll be big enough to store the ship," Arche's friend concludes.

"How does it work...?"

"Just open it and hold it up towards the ship!"

I follow the half elf's instructions. "Like this...? Whoa!" Right before my eyes, the ship lurches off the ground and jumps into the small capsule, shrinking as it does so. Wow... that was amazing! "Hey, Arche, why don't we have one of these for our pack?"

"Huh?! They're not something an ordinary college student can get a hold of! You'd have to ask Klarth that one—he's the castle researcher after all!"

"Well we have it now, so let's make good use of it, shall we?" Lynn says.

"Yeah. Anyway, how do we get to the Tower from here?"

"Um..."

"It's on the other side of New Midgard. We'll have to pass through the Valhalla Plains to reach it," Suzu speaks up. "We're running low on gels, though, so I suggest we get some while in town."

She's always so serious... "All right. Let's find the shops first, then."

"Rhea, what are you planning on doing?" questions the witch.

"I think we're going to stay in this city for the time being. Please be careful on your journey!"

"Thanks. See you later!" We wave goodbye to Rhea and head further into the city. The item shop is just outside of the port area, so we go in to sell things and buy some apple gels and orange gels. Hm, should I get some more life bottles...? I guess I'll decide that after we buy weapons...

The weapon shop is a few doors down and on the left, and there we each look for what we're best with. Hm, let's see... which bow... I hold some of the best looking ones and pull the string back, feeling their reach and strength. Wow, some of these are really good! Especially this one... It's a composite bow, made using layers of many different materials. This will help me out! I take it up to the counter, where Suzu joins me with a dagger.

"Let's see... a composite bow and an ayame? That'll be 13000 gald."

That's a lot! Do we really have that much? Suzu hands over the money and we sell our old weapons. Satisfied, we leave the shop.

"Hey, Suzu, where'd you get all of that money?"

"It was in Klarth's pack, though some of it came from the loot we sold," explains the ninja. I guess she's been keeping track of that... I hadn't really noticed.

"Huh? Klarth-sensei left that much money?!"

"He left sixteen thousand three hundred forty seven gald."

She didn't have to be that accurate... "Why'd he leave all of that money? He could've at least taken that with him..."

"I don't know."

"We'll never know by just standing here," Lynn points out. "Let's hurry—time is against us, right?"

I nod and we head out of the city.

**Chester gained the title of Happy Man. It is a title given to one who got the two people most important to him back.**

**Arche gained the title of Precious Friend. It's good to have her back!**

**Arche joined the party.**

**Lynn joined the party.**


	23. Courageous Man

**Thank you, Draco-san, for helping me with the ship part!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of Phantasia or Tales of Symphonia (Symphonia isn't mentioned as much nowadays... hmm...). They're owned by Namco.**

**--****Courageous Man****--**

Noishe leads the way to a path between two mountains, where we enter a large area with cliffs separating the different paths.

"This is Valhalla Plain!" announces the witch. "We should be going straight west, right?"

"Correct."

"Yay! I'm right!"

"So then this way?" Lynn asks as she starts walking to the left.

"W-wait, Lynn! You should stay in the back!" I call out as I hurry to catch up with her.

Lynn giggles. "Thank you for your concern, Chester!"

We walk left until it reaches a dead end, and then left again. Here we can go right to continue west, so we do so.

"Left or right... Let's go left!" Arche decides for us at the next fork. That leads us left again... and again... and again... and again...

"Um, this looks familiar..." Lynn mutters as we pass a small tree.

"W-what? It does?"

"Hey, Arche! Are you leading us in circles?!" I demand.

"N-no! Of course not! I know exactly where we're going... um... We're going left!"

"All we _can_ go here is left..." I mutter dryly. "Geez, I can't believe you got us lost!"

"We're not lost! We know where we've been, right?"

"Yeah, yeah... we came from where there were rocks, trees, and grass—oh wait, that's _everywhere_. Arche, it all looks the _exact same_!"

"It does not! North Valhalla is covered in snow!"

"So all we know is that we're not freezing... that's reassuring..."

"Um, Chester, Arche-san..."

Arche's anger grows and she yells, "Fine, then! _You_ lead the way, Mr. Lost-My-Memory!"

"That has nothing to do with this!"

"Uh-huh! So you have no idea where we are, either!"

"I wasn't the one leading!"

"Who said I was?!"

"You were calling out directions like you knew where we were going!"

"Arche," Suzu interrupts. "Can you fly above the plains and figure out where to go?"

"Oh! Sure, I wouldn't mind doing that for you, _Suzu-chan_," Arche says, throwing me a glare as she hops on her broom.

As the witch flies up, I call, "Don't you dare just leave us here!"

"Shaddup! I wouldn't do that!"

"You mean like you did last time?"

"Wha-?! That was different!"

"It seems the same to me!"

"C-Chester... you shouldn't provoke her anymore..." Lynn mutters as she grabs my arm.

Lynn... "...All right."

"Ah! I found it!" Arche calls down. She then hovers back to the ground and dismounts from her broom. "We're going left!"

"That's what happened _last_ time!"

"Shaddup! I know where we're going, so just follow me!"

"We're going to be going in circles again..." I mutter, but we follow her anyway. At the second fork, she leads us right, and then we head left some more.

"See? It looks different now!"

"It all looks the same to me," I quip, but we continue walking anyway. Now there's only one path to follow, so it's pretty easy not to get lost here.

The area suddenly opens up. Finally, we're almost out... As we walk straight, I notice Noishe not following us. He's whining for some reason...

Before we have a chance to walk over to him, a large iron golem jumps from the cliffs and lands between us and the dog. This thing's huge...! It must be at least ten times my size, maybe more!

Suzu immediately goes for its legs while I aim higher, for its head.

"Maelstrom!" Arche calls, and a large vortex of water appears under the monster, dragging it down. Suzu flips backwards out of the water as the iron gets hurt in the deadly waves. Once it disappears, Suzu begins attacking again. Ah, I wasn't attacking, either! I just don't want to get soaked again...

"Ice Fang!" I yell as I release an icy arrow.

"Omega Storm!" Suzu pulls her dagger back and makes a wide, powerful swoop through the thing's legs, and then another back, making it lose its balance and fall. Now on its back, the creature flails around frantically, unable to get up. We stop attacking...

"Er... it seems to be having trouble..."

"It can't get up...?"

"Should we help it...?"

"What are you saying?! It tried to kill us!" Arche points out. "If anything we should finish it off!"

"We can't attack it while it's helpless!" I shoot back.

"Well then we should just leave it! It's not like we could help that thing back up anyway."

"I know, but it just looks so horribly pitiful."

"You mean like you?"

"What was that?! Annoying girl!"

"Lame-o!"

"Obnoxious girl!"

"Lousy man!"

"Noisy girl!"

"Loser!"

"Rowdy girl!"

"Is this some sort of game...?" The other two stare at us, confused, while Arche thinks.

"La... la..."

"Out of ideas?"

"Shut up you... you..."

"I think I won this one," I say smugly.

"Shaddup! It's no fair ending everything in 'l'!"

Noishe barks loudly—wait, when did he get ahead of us?! We hurry to catch up with him and leave the plains. I wonder if that giant ever got up... Well, there's some snow on the ground here, but not much. There's a river to our left, and past it, over a bridge, is another city. "Is that New Midgard?" I ask. It looks a lot like Valhalla Port...

"Yep! It's the top research city in all of Aselia!"

We walk right next to the city, following the river around until we reach a bridge. After the bridge, we change our direction a little to go towards a large tower I see off in the distance... that must be where we're going. We reach the base in no time, and we cautiously enter the building.

Inside, there's music... a dark, gloomy song is playing. The first room is fairly small, with a large picture of two girls in the center of the grey room. We run past the picture and through the doors. This next room has a picture of a goat and stairs leading upwards... Well, at least we're not going down for once.

This next room is large, with two pillars in the center. Between the two pillars is a black with silver writing, though I can't recognize the characters at all... Behind that is a door, and on the wall across from it is a path. The stairs we came up are to the right of the path, and there's another path to our right. There's one final path to the left of the middle one.

We walk up to the tablet. "What does it say...?"

"'Someone not Human sings. A melancholy song is needed,'" Arche speaks up. "That's what it says..."

"The song playing sounds quite melancholy... Let's try the door." It opens, and we walk into another room with stairs leading up. This should be level three... but it looks the exact same as level two! There's even a tablet in the center... I try to walk through the doors on the other side of the tablet, but they refuse to budge.

"'Someone not Human sings. A mirthful song is needed,'" reads the half elf.

"Are we supposed to sing?" I ask dryly.

Lynn giggles. "Surely there's a way to change the music around here, right?"

So now we have to search... great... I just hope this thing doesn't have too many floors like this...

We start with the southern passage, which leads us to a fork. We head right, where there are two doors: the first door has nothing and the second has a strange statue with a switch. We activate the switch and the music suddenly changes... "This sounds mirthful, right?"

"It does to me! I like this song a lot better!" cheers the witch.

"Let's go," Suzu says as she and Noishe lead the way back to the tablet. The door works this time! Up to level four now! It looks the exact same as the previous levels.

"'Someone not Human sings. A serene song is needed.'" After reading the tablet, we look at the paths we have available.

"Let's try right this time," suggests Lynn. We go that way; we enter the first door in the hallway to find nothing, so we continue walking. The second door has a switch that we press, which changes the music yet again.

"This reminds me of home..." Suzu mutters as she sways a little to the serene music. Heh, I don't think she meant to sway, but it's kinda cute! This music works, and we head up to level five.

"'Someone not Human sings. A melancholy song is needed.'"

"Again?"

"We haven't tried left yet!"

We go left, which leads us to a room with a treasure chest. Inside is a cape. "Hey, who else thinks Cless needs a new cape?" I ask as I hold the red thing up.

All three girls raise their hands, and Noishe barks in agreement. "His cape _does_ look pretty tattered..." mutters Lynn.

"That one's a lot newer looking," agrees the kid.

"Whoo! He'll look _so_ much hotter with a new cape!" I should've expected Arche to say something like that... Gah, _both_ of them make me mad!

We leave the room and continue following the path to the second door. We press the switch here. The music stops, but when it comes back, it's the same serene tune. Well that didn't work... back to the main room. This time we head through the center passage and to the left at the fork. The first room has—monsters?! There are three large ghosts... not like the Charonas—these look more like humans.

"Let's race to see who finishes first! I get the far one!" Arche yells.

"I'll take the middle," Suzu says as she jumps over the first one and begins attacking the middle one.

"I guess that means I have the front..." I shoot at the front ghost.

"Mirror Image!" Suzu calls out as a transparent double of the girl appears. Both attack the ghost. Hm, at this rate she's going to beat me...

"Thunder Blitz!" My arrow explodes into lightning as it hits its target, but the ghost isn't gone yet.

"Glaive!" the witch yells, and sharp rocks shoot up under her ghost.

I shoot off another arrow, and then notch yet another. I charge it up with fire energy... "Hell Pyre!" I think mine's about done...

"Finished," I hear Suzu say. What?! Aww... Well, I won't lose to Arche!

"Distortion!" A bubble swoops her ghost up, taking it into a black rupture in time and space. "Yay! I beat Chester!"

"Hey! That was cheating!" I yell as I release a final arrow, making my ghost fall. "You didn't actually kill yours!"

"So? I got rid of it before you did!"

"Um... let's just pull the switch and keep going..." Lynn says, trying to keep us from arguing.

"Keh. Fine." I walk over to the switch and activate it. The mirthful song starts playing again...

Figures. We head back out and to the door next to that room. This one has a switch... ah good, the melancholy tune! We head back to the main area and to the next level. Not another one...

"'Someone not Human sings. A gallant song is needed.'"

"How many songs _are_ there...?"

"Dunno, but let's hurry!"

We try the left path first... a switch hasn't worked down that one yet, so maybe it will this time? The second room has a switch... Hey, we haven't heard this song yet! It's upbeat... maybe this is the gallant song? Yep, it works! We head through those doors and up to floor seven.

Wait, this room is small... it has stairs leading up to a platform and statues around, with two torches on the wall opposite us. There's no door, but there's a ball of light in the center of the room... The light disperses and a young woman appears, sitting on a crescent moon. She looks to be about our age, and has long, jet black hair. On her head is what looks to be a reef of leaves with two golden balls on either side. Her long dress is long and cobalt, with a golden pendant at the top and a golden hem around the bottom. She wears no shoes, but her feet don't touch the ground anyway.

"So you've come..." she says, her voice light and kind. "Please accept your power."

The light from the center explodes, one part headed straight for me.

It's been a while since this has happened... I'm getting a new skill... Gale Shot...? Ah, and here's the memory...

"I guess this is goodbye..." Cless mutters.

"Yeah... Let's head for Thor, Arche," says Klarth. Oh that's right, the summoner and the witch came from the past in that life, right?

"Remember me, always. I'll never forget you guys." As Arche speaks, a tear drops from Mint's eye. The four of them are standing there saying their goodbyes, while someone who looks a lot like Morrison and I wait off to the side.

"Mint, don't cry. Our meeting was never meant to be. But it did happen... so... can't you at least be happy that we had this improbable encounter?" the summoner points out.

"I guess..."

"Haha... Look at me trying to justify an impossible situation."

"Klarth, Arche... Take care, guys."

"You, too."

Tears are now falling from Arche's eyes as well. "Bye bye..."

They start walking away. I wonder why I didn't say anything to them back then... W-whoa! The land's shaking?! What's going on?!

"What in the world?!" demands the man next to me.

Arche and Klarth quickly run back to us. "Look!"

I follow the girl's finger—whoa! Meteors start falling all around us and the shaking gets even more violent. This looks like the Meteor Storm that hit Fenrir in that weird dream of mine...! After a minute, it all stops.

"Phew, I think we're safe now..." mutters the summoner.

"W-what the heck was that?!"

A blue light rains down from the sky, and when it fades, a man with dirty blonde hair is standing there. "I made it! Trinicus D. Morrison's house... Exactly as planned."

"The flash of time travel..." observes Morrison. He must be an ancestor of the Morrison I know...! "And who might you be?"

"I'm Harrison... I've traveled back in time fifty years by the order of the King of Alvanista."

"Really? From the future?!" Klarth exclaims.

"Several years have already passed since Dhaos appeared in our time. The world is on the verge of utter destruction... and you people are our only hope!"

"Was Dhaos behind those meteors?!" demands Cless.

"I wouldn't be surprised. He no doubt fears that I'd bring you from the past... so he tried to strike first."

Dhaos?! Was he the one who attacked Fenrir, then?! He must've been trying to stop her from warning me of the traitor... What is he up to?! Where is he?!

"But this doesn't make any sense," says the swordsman. "I thought Dhaos was dead!"

"We gotta do something, quick!" cries the witch.

"Let's go to the future!"

"Seems it was too early for goodbye," the summon concludes.

"Yep!" agrees the healer.

"This time I'm the one who'd get in the way. I'll stay here. You guys better come back in one piece," Morrison tells them.

"We will! You come, too, Chester!"

"You got it!"

"...Hmph..." Arche walks over to me and examines me. "Hmm... Hmmm..."

Huh? What's she up to...?

"He looks kinda weak."

What?!

"I don't think he has what it takes."

I glare at her, anger building up. "Who does she think she is!" I yell, asking Cless, but everyone can no doubt hear me.

"That's enough, Chester..." Some help he is.

"Please don't fight, you guys..." begs Mint.

"Okay, okay. Well, try to keep up. And no slacking off!"

Cless turns to me as Arche starts walking away. "Chester... don't mind Arche. She really means well."

The scene fades out, and when it returns, I'm in Miguel, shooting arrows at a dummy...

"What're you doin'?" Arche asks as she walks over.

"Nothing," I answer.

"So you're doing nothing in the middle of the night?"

I fire an arrow off. "What do you care what I do?"

"I'm sorry for saying you looked weak."

I let another arrow fly. "That has nothing to do with it."

"Then what's going on with you?"

I glare at her, annoyed. "I said it's nothing! Now stop bugging me already!"

"Okay. Sorry. But I don't think it'll help for you to worry so much about it. See yah." She starts walking away...

"Hey!" I call out. "You don't understand anything. My little sister was murdered... She was only eleven! And you know what makes it worse? Her murderer was slain by Dhaos. Do you understand how frustrating that is for me?"

"That's... that's..." She thinks. "Isn't that the same for Cless? I'm not saying you should forget about your sister. But your frustration and impatience is too obvious. Looking at you... I can't even breathe."

We both pause, neither saying anything. What did she mean by that...?

"...Can't you please just leave me alone already?" I finally speak up.

"Well, good luck, anyway. Chester..."

The scene fades out and I'm standing back in the tower again. Arche... does she remember that, too? What sort of memories has she gotten from these...?

"Chester?" Lynn waves a hand in front of my face, and I stare down at her. "Are you all right?"

"Huh? Ah, yeah. Is everyone ready?"

"Yep! Let's get outta here already!" Arche says, while Suzu simply nods. We turn to exit.

A blue light appears in our path, and from it emerge Klarth and Curt. "Well well, look at what we found here," says Curt. ...They... teleported...

"Hey, no fair! We had to walk all the way up here, changing the song! You should have to do the same!"

"I agree!" yells Arche. "Go back and start over!"

Klarth and Curt stare at us like we're idiots. "...What?"

"You have someone who can teleport as well," Klarth points out.

"Teleporting up here is only something the lazy would do," says the ninja. "Plus, I don't know this area—it'd be pretty careless of me to try teleporting to an area I'm not familiar with."

"Let me guess: you want Cless?"

"Well, yes, but we actually came here to get Luna," Klarth says matter-of-factly.

...Oh. Right. Summon spirit... "Luna! Don't go with him!" I call back to her.

"Um, Chester? She's already gone..." Arche says, and I turn around to find out that the spirit isn't there anymore. We actually beat him to a spirit, too...

Curt pulls his large hammer off of his back, which sparks with lightning. "We don't have time for games. Klarth, let's take them quickly!"

The summoner nods and begins charging up for a spell. Suzu pulls out her dagger and charges in, her small dagger meeting with Curt's large hammer. Electricity from the hammer erupts, hitting Suzu, Arche, and me. I quickly get back up and pull my bow and an arrow off of my back, taking aim as Suzu tries to attack him again.

"Chester!" Arche calls, and I look back to see her preparing a spell. "Stop Klarth from casting!"

"But—"

"Hurry!"

I turn my bow to aim at the traitor, but my grip is shaking too much. I need to shoot... I need to let go of this arrow... but I can't... I can't make my fingers release... not to shoot him...

A soft hand rests on my arm, and I feel Lynn's body against my back. "Calm down, Chester. Concentrate—he's your enemy, remember?"

"I know, but..."

"You can do it, Chester. I believe in you..." she says gently, and my grip becomes steadier. "You can fight him. Hurry, before he finishes the summon!"

She's right... I can't let him summon anything! I release the arrow.

It hit... his shoulder is bleeding... I did it...

"Chester...!"

"Tempest!" The wind blows sharply around us, and three tornados engulf our enemies, sending them flying into the walls.

Klarth grabs his wounded shoulder as he squats on the ground, worn out. "Chester... It's not..." Curt grabs Klarth's arm and within seconds, they're both gone again.

"Chester..." Lynn squeezes my hand. "You did great. Thank you..."

"He'll be back. Thank _you_, Lynn... you gave me the courage to fight him, and I won't let that go!"

"Anyway, where should we go next?" Lynn asks the group, snapping Arche back to reality. Was she zoning out...? What was she thinking about...?

"Ah, um...!"

"The Midgard Port," Suzu says seriously. "We can sail from there to Alvanista, where we can walk to the Morlia Mineshaft."

"More boat rides..." Just what I always wanted...

"It's either that or walking through the desert."

I've heard that before... _"It's either that or a __long walk through the desert."_ Both are things I hate... I sigh. "I'll take the boat."

The Tower of the Zodiac is a lot easier to leave than it is to enter—you don't have to change the songs at all when leaving! It makes for an easy trip down. Arche's unusually quiet, though... did I miss something?

Outside of the tower, we head past the bridge leading to New Midgard and to another bridge, which leads to the Midgard Port. The port is really small, and nothing more than that: a port. Huh? Auoun's here...! He's talking to a sailor...

"Auoun! What are you doing here?" Lynn asks as she hurries over to him, and the rest of us follow her.

"Ah, Lynn! You're... Chester, right? And Arche and... Suzu! I'm glad to see you've recovered from your wounds!" Lynn's brother says kindly, a smile spread across his face.

"Yeah... Um, thanks..." Suzu stares at the ground, nervous.

His smile widens. "I was on my way back to the castle... It seems I accidentally ended up in Valhalla Port."

"That's right, you were on our ship."

"I slept most of the way, so I wasn't paying attention where it was taken us..."

"Why are you alone? As an ambassador and the princess' fiancé, shouldn't you have guards?"

"Thank you for your concern, Sis. I _did_ have guards, but... that _idiot_ leader of theirs forgot me and left me behind."

"Will you be fine on your own?"

"Yeah. Don't worry about me—I can take care of myself. So, most of you are Heroes of Space-Time, right? Please do your best to help this world."

"We will," I say. "Come on, let's get to Morlia."

"Right! Auoun, do you want to come with us?" Lynn offers to her brother.

"No offense, but it would probably be bad for me to be caught traveling with rebels..."

"All right. See you later, Auoun!"

"Take care, all of you."

I open the wing pack and hold it up, releasing the ship onto the water. Oh wow, I didn't realize the loading ramp was in the wing pack as well! That makes things easy... we board the ship. We work together to pull up the anchor, which is really heavy... but working together, it's not too hard. Lynn offers to steer while Suzu takes the job of navigator. I follow Noishe below deck to relieve the dog of his heavy burden. Once Cless is on a bed with the pack and hat next to him, I walk back out into the hallway. I guess I should ask what I can do to help on the ship... Ah, there's Arche.

"...Hey, Chester," she speaks up as she walks over to me. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"

Huh? "Uh, sure..."

She opens the closest door and walks in; I follow, closing the door behind me. We're in another bedroom area, different from the one I left Cless in. "So what's up?"

"Well... you don't remember when we hung out with Rhea before, do you?"

"You mean before I lost my memory? No, why?"

"It's just that... there's something _different_ about her. I can't quite explain it..." The half elf pauses, staring at the wall. "She looks the same and acts about the same, but I can't help but feel that she's _not_ the same..."

"Would Suzu know?"

"Suzu-chan never met Rhea before this. ...Rhea kept asking about you, you know. She asked me many questions about you and Suzu-chan, like how well you get along with me and everyone else..."

"Really?"

Arche nods; her line of sight has moved to the floor now. "...When we went to the Tower of the Zodiac... the memory I got was when I first met Cless, Mint, and Klarth in that life... Rhea was dead, and she used my body to get revenge for her family... She was my friend back then as well, so I let her, and when it was over, I joined Cless and the others." Another long pause, and then Arche plops down on the bed behind her with a sigh. "You don't think anything like that has happened, do you...?"

Arche looks scared... I don't blame her—Rhea's her friend, right? _"She's__ an imposter..."_ Who was he talking about? Rhea? I... can't tell Arche that... she's already worried about her friend...

"Just because it happened back then doesn't mean it's happened now," I point out as I sit down beside the girl. "In our past lives my sister... my sister was killed..."

"What?! Ami?!"

"Yeah... But as you know, she's fine in this life. So... Rhea's probably fine as well..." Arche doesn't say anything. "So..." I continue, "so don't worry about it, okay? It isn't right when you're quiet, and I'm sure Rhea would agree if she saw you like this. I like it better when you're happy and bouncing around like an idiot..."

"You like it better when I..." she repeats in a murmur—I can barely hear her.

My heart pounds."D-don't get the wrong idea! I just don't like seeing people sad, even if I hate them!"

"Haha, Chester's trying to cheer me up... how ironic..." She smiles at me, her smile happier than I've ever seen it. "You've been down a lot recently, too."

"Sometimes it's hard to tell who I can trust nowadays... I trusted Klarth..."

"We can't change what's happened, or decide what other people choose to do... so I guess it can't be helped! Anyway, what'd you dream about?"

"Well, you and Klarth were about to leave to your own time when someone from the future came..."

"You _just_ had that dream? I saw that ages ago!" Arche says happily. "You're so slow, Chester!"

"Hey, you got a memory that was even further in the past!" She's just _trying_ to be annoying, isn't she?! "Look, I'd rather not argue right now. I'm going to go see if Lynn and Suzu need any help."

"Okay! I'll make some food! What do you want?"

"I don't know... surprise me."

"Will do! This'll be fun!" she says excitedly. Do I _want_ to know what she means by that...? I suddenly have a bad feeling about leaving her to cook... She wouldn't have offered if she didn't know what she was doing, right...? I head up to where Lynn is steering, though she seems to be having some difficulties...

"Hey, Lynn. Need any help?"

"Chester! Perfect timing—can you steer for a minute?"

"Sure." I walk over and take the wheel, relieving Lynn of her duty. It's heavier than I thought...! "Which way?"

"That way"—she points to the left a little—"and follow the coast until you reach Alvanista."

"Okay. Where are you going?"

"I'm going to get Arche-san—we could use her wind magic on the sails. Just keep us from getting too far off course while I'm gone."

"She's in the kitchen." I can see what she means now... the wind's pushing us to the right, so I have to hold it tightly just to keep going straight.

"Cyclone!" I hear Arche yell, and the wind from her spell catch the sails and move the ship so forcibly that I fall. Doesn't she know something called 'slight'?! Ah, oh no! The wheel is spinning rapidly—I grab it and steady my feet, trying to hold it steady. This is hard... it doesn't want to stop... I finally get it to stop... Whew... Now then, are we going the right way...?

Suzu jumps down next to me—was she in the crow's nest? "Turn to the right a little. We're about to come up on the bend before Alvanista." I do as she commands, and soon I see the land she was talking about. Alvanista is straight ahead... we're almost there!

The witch flies over to us. "How'd I do?"

"Be more careful next time! That was violent!"

"It's magic that's meant to hurt! I had to put as much concentration in it as I could so it didn't tear up the sails!"

Lynn hurries up next, a tray of plates in her hand. "I made some sandwiches. Who's hungry?"

"Yay! Food!" Arche cheers as she takes a plate. "Thanks!"

"Thank you." The ninja also grabs a plate.

"Let me take over steering and you can eat, the woman offers.

"You eat first."

"Are you sure...?"

"Yeah. I can wait." I continue steering towards the port as they sit down around me and begin eating. Cless hasn't had anything to eat in days... he'll probably be hungry when he wakes up. I hope he wakes up soon...

My stomach growls, betraying my claims. Lynn laughs and puts her last bite in her mouth; she stands up and puts her hands on the wheel. I duck out and grab my plate, and then I sit down and eat.

...It seems like it's been eons since I first boarded a ship, with the rebels... How long _has_ it been? Speaking about them, how are they doing...? Did Sheena and Genis succeed? "Hey, can we stop by Japoni before Morlia? I'm curious to see how the rebels are doing."

"That's fine by me!"

"Yes, I'd like to stop by home."

"Japoni, the ninja village? I'd love to go there!"

Then it's settled. We dock in Alvanista and get off the ship, with Noishe and Cless of course. I wonder if Cless could be put in a wing pack... It'd probably be best not to find out. I store the ship in the wing pack.

"Excuse me," someone says. We turn around to see a young knight standing there. "I need your ship registration info before I can let you go."

**Chester gained the title of Courageous Man. It takes great courage to ****fight**** against someone you once admired...**

**Chester gained the title of Counselor. It is a title given to one who helps others with their problems.**

**Suzu gained the title of Navigator. It is a title given to someone who can ****guide others along the right path**

**Chester learned Gale Shot.**

**Arche learned ****Tempest.**

**Suzu learned Hell Rush.**

**Cless learned Inspiration.**

**Klarth can now summon Luna.**


	24. Foxboy

**I made up Hendrich's name... but I based his personality on the one mention of him in Tales of Phantasia: Narikiri Dungeon! He's probably colder than the real thing, though...**

**I, um, actually came back through and added Klarth losing his hat at Lone Valley instead of later on, at Arlee... so that's why they use the quiver instead of the hat. That and the humor of it! So sorry if that seems kinda odd...**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Tales of Phantasia, Tales of Phantasia: Narikiri Dungeon, or Tales of Symphonia. They're all owned by Namco.**

**--Fox-Boy--**

"Excuse me. I need your ship registration info before I can let you go."

"Let me handle this..." Arche mutters as she walks over to the knight. "Oh you don't need something like that! If you let us through without telling, I'll make it well worth. Your. While!" She gets closer to him, keeping her face only inches from his. I don't believe this...

"Ah... ahem. R-right! Please follow me..." He actually fell for it?! What kind of idiot _is_ he?! He knows the city pretty well... he leads us down all of the back allies, flirting with Arche the whole way. This is really getting on my nerves...!

"Arche-san's clever, isn't she?" Lynn asks me quietly.

"Yeah... though that was a dirty way to do things."

"It was effective, wasn't it?" the woman points out.

"Lynn..." I stop walking. "Do you approve of that sort of trickery?"

She stops as well as she smiles back at me, her smile carrying an air of mystery. "It makes life more exciting, don't you think?"

What does she mean...? She... reminds me of someone... but I don't know who... "Lynn..."

She bursts out laughing and walks over to me. "I'm just kidding! Sorry, Chester! It was too good to let up—your face looked so cute!" Eh? I-I... looked... this is embarrassing... "Anyway, what I was really saying is that we shouldn't worry about it as long as we get out of here alive, right?"

"R-right..." I can't help but smile. Even if I was the one who fell for that trick... I guess it's just reassuring to see that Lynn has a sense of humor. I hadn't really noticed that about her before... but then again, everything's usually so serious.

"HEY!" Arche's voice echoes through the alley. "Hurry up, you slowpokes!" The knight is trying to calm the angry girl down, but it doesn't work.

"S-sorry, Arche-san!" Lynn apologizes as she hurries to catch up. I walk, purposely taking my time.

"Don't apologize to her. She's trying to alert the whole city of our presence!"

"Wha—?! I was not!"

"Then why were you yelling so loud?!"

"P-please calm down... W-we must hurry, Lady Arche!" the knight says to the witch. Wait, _Lady_ Arche?

"You're joking, right? What's ladylike about her?"

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?!"

"Lady Arche is very ladylike, and she's a Hero of Space-Time, so..." He glances nervously at the girl. This is pathetic...!

"Suzu, Cless, and I are Heroes of Space-Time, too! She's not special!"

Arche sticks her tongue out at me and then opens her mouth to argue, but the clatter of guards stops her.

"Lady Arche! Run!" the knight says. "I'll try to stall them!"

"Right!" She hops on her broom and takes off, the rest of us running quickly behind her.

Before long, we emerge from the shadows of the buildings and run across a long drawbridge. Ah! Lynn's starting to fall behind! And there are knights behind us... I grab her hand and pull her along, trying to help her keep up. On the other side, we stop and catch our breath; Lynn falls on the ground, exhausted.

"Lynn! Are you all right?!"

"I'm fine... I'm sorry, my stamina must not be back yet..."

"They'll catch us if we stay," the ninja points out.

"C'mon, we have to keep moving!"

"Lynn needs to rest!" I argue, glaring at the witch.

"I'm fine..." the woman says, but her breathing is still heavy.

"No you're not! Don't push yourself! Lynn..." I put my hand on her shoulder... I can't do anything to help her...

"...Fine, I'll stop the knights," Arche decides angrily as she stands on her broom and begins charging up a spell. They're running quickly... if she takes much longer, they'll stop her before she casts!

I stand up and notch an arrow in my bow, aiming it up in the sky. "Wild Rain!" The rain of arrows is enough to knock out the first few knights, slowing them down. Hurry up, Arche...

Her magic circle forms under her, blue light shining up, and a ball of magic is between her hands. "Glaive!" she screams as she sweeps her arm low, magic shooting from it into the ground. Pillars of stone shoot out of the ground in a path towards the knights; in its destructive path, some knights fall off of the bridge while others get caught in the stones.

Arche easily hops off of her broom and it floats up into her hand. "There. Happy?"

"Thanks, Arche..." I mutter as I sit down next to Lynn.

"Yes, thank you, Arche-san."

"Hmph." Arche turns her back. She still hates Lynn... I don't understand why. Noishe walks over to Arche and nuzzles the half elf's hand with a small whine; she pats him on the head, scratching him behind his ear. Suzu stands next to me, keeping a silent vigil over our group. Cless is still asleep... How long has it been now? It seems like ages ago that he got hurt... is it normal for a person to sleep this long? How can _anyone_ sleep that long with all of the commotion that's been going on around us?!

"It'll be late by the time we get to Japoni," Lynn speaks up. "Are we going to rest there tonight?"

"That'll be fun!" agrees the witch. "What do you say, Suzu?"

"That's fine."

"Then shall we get moving? I'm fine now."

"Are you sure? You shouldn't push yourself..." I'm worried about her... I don't want her to die again...

"I'm fine now. Thank you for your concern, Chester," the woman says as she stands up. Arche sits on her broom and we begin moving south, across the long plains. Arche's rambling about something to Suzu, but I'm not paying attention... I'm more worried about Lynn. She looks to be doing all right now, but... I guess her body must be weak... Fenrir warned me about that.

"You know," Lynn suddenly speaks up. "There's actually a fourth god... Heimdall, god of the elves."

"Wait, I thought that was the name of their city..."

"It is. They named it that because it's Heimdall's sacred land. Heim's a lot different from the other gods, though. She doesn't like bothering in the affairs of the world," she explains with a shrug.

"'Heim'? What kind of nickname is that?" Arche asks. Wow, she's been flying on her broom for a while... is it because she has more power now? Is she able to fly for long periods and keep mana in reserve for spells?

Lynn giggles. "I thought it was cute. Like Ody for Odin!" She says it so enthusiastically that I can't help but laugh.

"A nickname, huh..." Uh-oh, I'm not sure if it's a good thing that Arche's thinking about this... "I know! We should make up nicknames for each other!"

"That's a stupid idea..." I mutter.

"It's a good idea! What do you say, Lynn?"

"Okay! Why don't we draw names at random? We just need something to put them in..."

I don't believe this... Lynn _agrees_ with Arche?!

"Hey, Chester! Give me your quiver!" demands the witch.

"What?! No!"

"We need it!"

"It's really the only thing we can use to draw names from except the pack and the hat... The pack has too much stuff in it already, and I'm worried we might mess the hat up if we try using it," Lynn points out. Klarth's hat _does_ have that white, flowing cloth and wood dangling from it... "Please, Chester?"

This is insane... "Fine, whatever." I hand Lynn the quiver. "Just don't do anything to my arrows!"

"Okay!" Arche pulls out all of the arrows and hands them to Suzu; then she starts rummaging through the pack on Cless' back. She pulls out... markers? What are those for...?

Arche takes one arrow out of Suzu's hand and starts coloring it pink. Wait a second...!

"Hey! Don't do that!" I yell as I attempt to snatch the arrow from her—she flies higher and continues coloring. "Arche! Get down here!"

"Hey, Suzu, trade ya!" Arche calls down as she throws the arrow down to the ninja. Suzu easily catches it and throws another arrow up. Even _Suzu's_ helping with this?! I'm outnumbered! Arche colors this one green, and the next black. The next is yellow, then white, and finally blue. My... arrows... they're all colored now... "There!" Arche says as she stares at the last one. "Okay! Time to start the drawing!" She throws the arrow down like a spear and it lands in the ground. Suzu pulls it out and puts it in the quiver with the rest of the colored arrows, while they hand me the plain ones.

"Arche-san... aren't there a little many?" Lynn points out. "Noishe and Cless can't participate..."

"Oh right! Um, well... two of us will just have to give two people nicknames! Anyway, I'm pink, Lynn's black, Suzu's yellow, Chester's blue, Cless is white, and Noishe is green!"

"Who should draw first?"

"Ah, well..."

"I know," Lynn says. "Why don't we put two more arrows in—blank ones—and we'll all draw at once twice?"

"Good idea! Chester, we need two more arrows!"

"You're not coloring on any more!"

"Don't worry, we just need them blank!"

I catch Lynn's pleading eyes and hand over two arrows. This is crazy... we're supposed to be stopping Curt and Klarth, not playing silly games!

Lynn sets the quiver down and we all stop walking. Why are we doing this again? "All right, then, everyone draw an arrow!"

We all reach in and pull out an arrow. Maybe I'll get a blank and won't have to participate...

Arche pulls the yellow out, Lynn the blue, Suzu the white, and me the pink. Wait, this means I'm giving a nickname to Arche... Oh I'm going to have _fun_ with this!

"I'll start! I have Suzu-chan... Um..." Arche thinks about this. "Okay, Sparrow!"

"What kind of nickname is _that_?" I demand.

"Oh shut up! Suzu-chan reminds me of a bird!"

"My turn next?" asks Lynn. "Let's see, I have Chester... What about Fox-boy?"

"That suits me..."

"Are we going with animal nicknames?" Suzu asks.

"Heh heh, I guess!" says the half elf.

"I have Cless... he reminds me of a horse."

"A horse? What sort of nickname can you make with that...?"

"How about Steed?" suggests Lynn.

"Haha, that sounds like a name! So then Chester's next—ah!" Arche _just_ realized that I have her arrow, and I'm holding it up proudly.

"Let's see, what should you be..." I say deviously. "How about 'Weasel'?"

"What?! Hey, I'm not a weasel!"

"Foxes eat weasels, don't they?" the ninja points out.

"Well well, looks like I'm the predator and you're the prey!"

"Oh shut up! I hate you!" Arche yells angrily, while Lynn giggles.

"Shall we draw the next set?"

For the next set, Arche grabs the green, Lynn a blank, Suzu a blank, and I get the black.

"Er... well, Noishe already _is_ a dog..." Arche mutters. "I guess that doesn't really work... Unless we just call him 'Doggy'..."

"That's cute! What do you think, Noishe?" Lynn asks the dog, but he only turns his head away from her. Turning to me, the woman says, "So what shall I be, Chester?"

"You? Um..." What sort of animal does Lynn remind me of? I'd say... "You remind me of a wolf."

"Hey, why am I not a predator?!" demands the witch.

"A wolf, huh? I like that!"

"So we have a sparrow, a fox, a horse, a weasel, a dog, and a wolf," Suzu sums it up.

"We're a pretty diverse group! Oh, here's your quiver back, Fox-boy!" Lynn beams as she hands the quiver back to me, and I smile back.

"Thanks, Wolf." Well, that was pointless, but I have to admit, it was kinda fun... especially naming Arche. I pull the quiver over my head so it's resting on my back again, and then I pull my ponytail and scarf out from under it. We continue walking.

I don't know where we are now, but it's starting to get late... and foggy. Fog... are we near the Ymir Forest? That place was really foggy...

"I can warp us from here," Suzu says as she stops and turns back to the rest of us, and past her I can see the swamp.

"All right."

"Shadow Storm!"

Within seconds, we're in Japoni. It's just like I remember it... though there aren't many people outside... In fact, I don't see _anyone_ outside. "Where is everyone?"

"I have Cure!" we hear a familiar voice yell—a little further inside the village, Mint is running into the chief's house.

"Mint!" Arche yells as she flies after her friend, and the rest of us jog behind her. We enter the building, where we find most of the ninjas working.

"What's going on here?" Suzu asks louder than I've ever heard her speak. The closest ninjas turn to look at her and greet the young girl with smiles.

"Suzu-san! The rebels are resting inside—four of them got serious injuries from the castle."

"What?!"

"Which four?!" Oh no... how badly are they hurt?!

"I don't know their names, but they're not human..."

Raine?! Genis?! Those two are half elves, aren't they?! "Which room are they in?" One of the ninjas points and I rush to that room, not paying attention to anything else.

Inside, Mint's sitting next to a bed, healing one of them. Raine and Regal are by two more beds, and a few ninjas are helping out. Genis and Presea are also trying to help. Wait, Raine and Genis are okay... I stare down at the people in the beds: Lloyd, Kratos, Colette, and Zelos.

But... they're human... aren't they...? "Ah, Chester!" Lloyd exclaims as he sits up. Oh... my...

On his back are long, thin, pure white wings made of light. He's... an angel?! I turn to Colette—her wings are much smaller, but they're thicker and pink in color. Kratos' are blue and elegantly shaped. Zelos also has wings, and his are an amber color. All of their wings shine brightly in the room. They're all... angels... these are the angels Fenrir was talking about...

"C-Chester-san..." Colette mutters. "Please don't look at us like that... we had reasons for hiding what we are..."

"Pretty cool, isn't it, my cute little rose?" Zelos asks, his attention already on Arche. "I can fly everywhere with you!" He's just the same as always!

Kratos sits up as well while Raine heals him. Mint is healing Colette, and Regal is healing Lloyd. A ninja girl is patching up Zelos' wounds.

"Arche-chan," Mint speaks up, "I'd like to—what happened to Cless?!" She gapes as she stares down at the sleeping swordsman.

"He got hurt back at the castle and he's been asleep ever since," I explain.

Mint silently walks over to Cless and puts her right hand on his cheek. "Cure," she says softly as blue light covers her hand and flows in to Cless. His scratches and scars disappear, but he remains sleeping. "Cless-san...?"

"Let me try..." Raine says. "Analyze! ...Hm, I see... it seems a sleep spell has been cast on him."

"What?! But Klarth couldn't have done that...! And we've been watching over him!" Klarth only uses summons, right? So there's no way he could've placed a spell on Cless back then... and Cless was perfectly fine _before_ then... Has a spell been placed on him since...? _"She's an imposter..."_ Oh no, it wasn't Rhea, was it?! Or... the imposter-Rhea?! She could've done that when rescuing us...!

"I'm sorry, but I don't have any spells to bring him out of this state... Mint-chan, maybe gathering more of your power will help," suggests Raine.

"Yes, I'll try... but first I have to help here."

"We're staying here for the night, so do what you can tonight! We'll leave in the morning!" Arche explains.

"All right, I will! Can I talk to you later, then? I have to concentrate on healing for now..."

"Yeah! Do you mind if we stay in here a little longer?" asks the half elf.

"Not at all." The princess returns to healing Colette.

"What happened to you four...?" I ask the angels. I need to ask them about Martel... for Fenrir...

"They wanted information from us," Lloyd's father explains.

"What kind of information...?" questions Arche.

"They wanted to know where Martel is."

That's what Curt meant...! "Did you tell them?!"

"I told them she was under the ocean."

"Eh? Uh-oh..." Zelos mutters.

"What?"

"I told them she was in the Dwarven Mines..."

Kratos sighs. "So they know we're lying... What about you, Lloyd? Colette?"

"I didn't tell them anything!" the girl says.

"Neither did I."

"Where _is_ Martel...?" I ask, trying to make it sound like I'm just curious. Why are they hiding where she is? I don't understand...

"She's at our home," answers Lloyd. "Derris-Kharlan."

"Derris-Kharlan? Where's that?"

"It's another planet," answers Lynn. "It was discovered by Aselian scientists about thirty years ago... But what is Martel doing on another planet?!"

"That's right. I was young then, but I came to work with Morrison around that time... when the gods of Aselia summoned the Heroes of Space-Time."

"Wait! But I thought Morrison's father summoned us! And the king separated our powers—isn't that what you told me?!"

"That's the common myth. However, in truth, the gods summoned you, and Morrison split your powers up. Doing so killed him, but it was so that we could find you first. The gods of Aselia want to use your powers. As for your question," Kratos continues, turning to Lynn, "Martel is helping rebuild Derris-Kharlan. It's still in a bad state, which is why we have to protect her location."

"But what about Aselia?!" demands Lynn. "Aselia's dying! You're going to force Martel to give up her home planet for yours?!"

"Lynn—" She turns to me with tears in her eyes. She's really upset... "S-surely there's a way around this..."

"I won't give up on Aselia, no matter what! Aselia is my home." Lynn spins around and marches out of the house.

"Wait, Lynn!" So this is the sacrifice Klarth meant... Aselia or Derris-Kharlan... No, I can't let that stop me! There has to be a way to save both... "Lynn, wait..." I catch up to her and grab her arm. "Calm down, no one's giving up on Aselia. I'm not going to let this world die..."

"Then what will we do, Chester? Aselia needs Martel, too..."

"We'll find a way to save both. Once we get our powers back, we'll focus on finding a way... I promise. It'll be all right..."

"Yeah, you're right... I trust you, Chester... And... when Aselia's safe... let's fine a place on it for just you and me. How does that sound?" Lynn asks, a small smile on her lips.

"Yeah..." I mutter as I pull her in to a hug. "We'll do that..." I let her go and smile. "We'll finish getting our powers tomorrow and then do whatever we can!"

"Yes. We should rest for the night, then."

I agree, and we head off to the inn. Lynn gets a room for the girls, while I buy one for myself. The last time I was here it was me and Klarth... that was when he went to get Origin.

I lay down on the soft mat, leaving my bow and quiver by the door. I didn't realize how tired I am... I let myself slip into the darkness of sleep...

"Welcome back," Lester-sensei says as I take the seat across from him. "Are you off now?"

"Yeah. Next time you should sit in my section," I answer.

"I'll keep that in mind. I didn't even realize you worked here! Speaking of, though, I _would_ like to learn more about my students..."

"That's a first," I mutter dryly. "Most professors only care about how we're doing in class, if that." I shouldn't hope that he will... he's probably just saying that to be nice. Oh well.

"Well then I guess it's a good thing I'm not 'most professors,'" replies my teacher.

"You sure do dress oddly. What's with all of those markings?"

"They're for research purposes. Also, I _like_ this outfit. It's not _that_ odd, is it?"

"The only time I've ever seen _anything_ like it was in old games and books," I reply, but this only makes Lester-sensei's grin widen.

"I guess that means I'm original."

"Or insane."

"Or brilliant."

Now it's my turn to grin. "You really _aren't_ like most teachers, are you?"

"So then, since I'm here, why not start with you? What sort of things are you interested in, Chester?"

"Hunting," I answer quickly. "Cless and I have been hunting ever since we were little. His dad taught us how to use weapons."

"You and Cless grew up together?"

"Yeah."

"What sorts of weapons do you use?"

"I'm an archer, and Cless is a swordsman."

"Interesting. An effective combination... We're talking about Cless Alvein, right? From your group?"

"Yes."

"Speaking of your group, how do you like them?"

"Cless is my best friend, and Mint seems really nice. I don't really know much about Suzu... she doesn't say anything..." I pause.

"And Arche Klaine?"

"I hate her. All she ever does is argue with me—it doesn't help our group at all! We can't get any work done like this... Hey, Lester-sensei, can one of us change groups?"

"Arche already came to me with that question."

"And? What'd you decide?"

"You're both staying in your group," answers my teacher. He holds up a hand before I have a change to protest. "I think you may have the best group _because_ you're having problems getting along. Chester, there will be many times in your future when you'll have to put up with or work with people you hate. In order to be successful, you have to overcome that barrier. Once you do, you'll probably be better off than most people in my class."

"But..."

"If your group needs any help, you can always come to me. But you're staying the same group." He finishes off his tea and then relaxes in the seat. "Now then, what else are you interested in?"

"Uh, well... I have a little sister. She's going to school back home, in Miguel."

"Ah, you come from Miguel? I've never been there... what's it like?"

"It's a nice, quiet town next to the forest. It's not like the city at all! Everyone in Miguel knows each other, so we don't really have to worry about problems or anything..."

"That _does_ sound nice... I'd love to visit sometime."

"There's not really much entertainment, but if you ever get the chance, you should definitely stop by!"

"I will. I've never seen anything like that..."

"Have you lived in the city all your life, Lester-sensei?" I ask.

"Yeah. I've only been outside of the city walls a few times, and those were on large expeditions for research purposes. Some things I went to see first-hand before teaching this class, such as the Valhalla ruins."

"Ah... isn't that what you were teaching us about today...?" Not a good subject... he might realize I didn't do the reading for class...

"Yeah, and what you read about in your textbook. It's an interesting subject... It's hard to believe that they'd sacrifice people..."

"About that, why were they sacrificing people...?"

"It was part of some ancient ritual. We don't know too much about it, except that they believed it necessary to satisfy the gods. Or at least, that's what we conjecture. It showed what looked to be gods in the picture..." Lester-sensei says, his mind elsewhere. Snapping back to reality, he continues, "I could probably make a critical thinking assignment about that..."

"So now I'm here to help you make up assignments for me to do? No thanks!"

Lester-sensei chuckles. "Don't worry, I won't give you _too_ much work. You young people don't like getting too much work, isn't that correct? Hm, I'll have to slowly work on that then..."

Heh, if only that was it... Holding two jobs _and_ keeping up with school work isn't easy... If I need any help, though, I can always ask Cless.

Lester-sensei stands up. "Well, it was nice talking to you, Chester. I'll be sure to come back. I'd like it if your group stayed after to chat sometime. At least come to me if you and Arche still have problems getting along..."

"All right," I say as I, too, stand up. The restaurant's pretty bare now... there's only one customer left now that Lester-sensei is leaving. She's sitting all by herself, too...

Lester-sensei leads the way out. As he's walking, he turns to say something else to me. "And Chester, always remember this—Whoaa!" He slips on the snow and falls just outside of the door, landing on his back. ...That was so anti-climatic.

"Sure thing, I'll _always_ remember that fall," I joke as I offer my hand to help him up. He reaches up to take it...

"Chester! Chester!" a girl calls out as someone from behind nudges me. I slowly wake up... I'm in Japoni. And... wait, what's Lynn doing in here? "Oh good, you're awake!"

I roll over to face her. "Lynn? Is something wrong...?"

"I-I think Arche-san went to Heimdall..."

"What happens to a half elf that enters Heimdall?" I question.

"They're killed..."

"_What_?!" I bolt up. "What was she thinking?!"

"I don't know... the ninjas said they saw her following a man with strange markings..." Strange markings...? They don't mean Klarth, do they?! If he lead her somewhere dangerous...! I stand up, and Lynn stands as well. "I'm going with you," the woman proclaims.

"You should stay here."

"Please, Chester... I want to make sure Arche-san's okay..."

"All right, but stick close to me, okay?" I order as I grab my bow and quiver. I sling the quiver over my back and carry my bow. In the hall, I see Suzu. "Suzu, watch over Cless! We'll be back shortly!"

"The rebels will watch him. I'm coming with you," the young girl declares.

"Me, too," says another voice from behind. I turn around to see Mint catching her breath. "I came as soon as I heard..."

"Fine, let's just hurry."

Suzu begins concentrating. "Shadow Storm!" The halls of the Japoni inn are soon replaced with the dark city of Heimdall. It's still pretty late at night... the two moons are shining brightly over the quite forest. Where's Arche...?

"This way," beckons Suzu; she leads us to a hiding spot between two of the buildings and then around the back of them. I can't really see where we're going... I just keep an eye on the ninja and follow her. I grab Lynn's hand so as not to lose her in the darkness. Suzu leads us into the back of the largest building, and then silently down the first set of stairs inside. On the stairwell, we stop—there are elven guards blocking our path. How are we supposed to get rid of them...?!

Mint steps forward and begins concentrating on a spell. "Pow Pow Hammer!" she hisses, and a large, red and yellow hammer appears in thin air over the guards. It falls on their heads, stunning both of them. We dash past them, into the room they were guarding.

This is a jail cell, and in one of them, Arche's sitting down, staring at the floor. Her pink eyes turn to us when we enter, surprised. "Y-you came!"

"You idiot!" I yell as I storm over to her. "Why'd you come here?!"

"I-I didn't mean to! I just... thought I saw Klarth-sensei..."

Klarth! I'm not going to let him go for this...! "Where'd he go?!"

"It wasn't him. It was another man with strange markings... and long, blue hair..." What? Another one? "He was much older than Klarth-sensei."

"Never mind him, let's just—"

The door leading out opens and we hear some footsteps coming down. Suzu beckons us to a hiding place behind a bunch of bags, and we all rush over. Just after Mint hides herself, I hear the voices of the people who entered.

"Is something wrong?"

"...I thought I saw something, that's all. Anyway, this is the half elf girl that was following you."

"Hm... she's really young for a half elf... Maybe I could use her for my research."

"I'm not a research subject!" protests Arche. This is bad... this is very bad... I dare to peek out over Mint's head at the people.

There are quite a few elves, most of them guards. Among them is one human, and I see what Arche meant now... He, too, has strange markings over his body, but his are pure black. His hair, a grayish-blue, falls down around his body, and on his narrow eyes sits a pair of glasses. He's dressed up in a lab coat, and under it are old-fashioned brown clothes. "If you'll help me take her back to the Alvanista labs, I'll pay you greatly," the man offers the elves.

"I see no reason to help with that. Money won't help you with us."

"I'll get the half elf off of your hands, though."

"Who are you?!" Arche demands.

"Ah, that's right. I forgot to introduce myself... My name is Hindrich X. Lester, though I suggest you call me Dr. Lester."

"You're a Lester?! Then... you're related to Klarth-sensei...?"

"Klarth? I don't recognize that name..."

"What? But Klarth-sensei's a researcher at the castle, and you have the same last name..."

The man thinks, trying to recall such a name. "Ooh, you must mean my son, Klarth F. Lester! I remember doing experiments on him when he was a kid... he was definitely an interesting test subject."

"What?!"

Anger whelms up in me. That's... cruel! How could he say something like that?! How could he do that to his own son?! A hand grabs my shoulder—Lynn. She stopped me from revealing myself... With a small sigh, I ease further back in the hiding place. I can't believe anyone would be that cold...!

"I'm taking her. Maybe I can use her for those experiments Auoun wanted..." I hear the bars of the jail cell open up and Arche yelp.

I can't sit back and watch anymore! I stand up and notch an arrow on my bow, aiming it at the man. "Gale Shot!" I release and it shoots straight past his head, between him and Arche, with three more arrows following close behind it. As he turns to stare at me, I pull out another arrow and take aim. "Don't you dare touch her!" The girls behind me also reveal themselves.

"What's going on here?!" one of the elves demands.

"Lightning!" Arche yells, and a powerful volt of electricity charges at Dr. Lester.

"Barrier," the scientist says calmly as an invisible barrier protects him from Arche's attack. "Attacking so quickly? Half elves are just as rash as they say..."

"Shut up!" I yell at him. "You're the one who's trying to kidnap her!" How are we going to get out of this with Arche?! The elves are drawing their weapons... this doesn't look good...

"And just who are you supposed to be...? Ooh, aren't you that boy on the wanted posters? Chester Barklight, was it?"

This man's infuriating! "So you remembered my name before you remembered your own son?! You make me sick!" I thought parents were supposed to be more caring than this... I thought parents were supposed to help their kids, and guide them down a good path! But this man... he doesn't deserve to be called anyone's father! Klarth... does he take after his father? They're both researchers for the king and they look a lot alike... And Klarth _did_ betray us...

"You sound like you know Klarth," the man says. "Don't bother getting too attached to him... Researching is in his blood."

I release the arrow, which is destroyed by the barrier. Arche takes this moment to glide over to us on her broom.

"Suzu-chan!" We all yell to the ninja, who's already starting up her spell.

"Shadow Storm!" Leaves swirl up around us and the dark dungeon disappears. When the leaves die down, we're back in Japoni.

"So that man was Klarth's father..." I mutter.

"I had no idea... I've seen him around the castle, but I never would've guessed..." Mint says.

"Like father, like son, they say, right?" Lynn points out.

"Yeah... Will Klarth be like that one day...?" I guess I was wrong to see Klarth as a father figure... He'd probably be a terrible father...

"I don't know..." Lynn mutters. "Arche-san, are you all right?"

"Yeah, thanks for coming to rescue me!"

"Why are Curt and Klarth's father so interested in you anyway...?" I ask.

"I don't know. They must be big perverts!"

"Why would any guy want _you_?" I mutter dryly.

"Hey, that's mean!"

I ignore her and let out a yawn. "Well, I'd appreciate it if I could go back to bed now... That is, if you're not going to sneak off again."

"I won't! I'm going to bed!" she yells angrily as she storms off to the inn. Lynn, Mint, and I follow, while Suzu goes back to her house.

Arche... why do they want her? I thought Cless was the only one they wanted... right? But then there was that one dream I had... _"Arche's in danger."_ She was fine back then, so I hadn't really thought about it... but is she still in danger...? Who told me that...? I need to ask that person what she meant... That's right, during that weird dream I had runes on my arm... Klarth seemed to recognize them... I wonder what that was. I'm still confused about that... what were those runes about? They vanished soon after they were destroyed by Cless' sword... and Fenrir came to talk to me long after that... So were the runes someone else? When I got the runes is when everything started going weird...

"Chester..." Lynn whispers. Huh, I hadn't notice her follow me into my room... "Are you okay? You seem a little out of it."

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just a little confused is all..."

"Don't worry so much. Arche-san's a strong girl; she can take care of herself."

I grin. "Yeah, you're right. It's _you_ I have to worry about!"

"What? M-me? But I'm fine..."

"I'm not going to let you die again." I walk over to her and hug her... she's so warm... "I love you, Lynn."

"I love you, too, Chester..." she whispers softly. I don't want to leave this... I'm happy with just staying here forever...

**Suzu gained the title of Sparrow. It is a title given to one who channels the spirit of the bird.**

**Chester gained the title of Fox-boy. It is a title given to one who channels the spirit of the fox.**

**Arche gained the title of Weasel. It is a title given to one who channels the spirit of the weasel.**

**Cless gained the title of Steed. It is a title given to one who channels the spirit of the horse.**

**Mint joined the party.**


	25. Doomed Man

**EDIT: Yeah. So. I made a _huge_ mistake when describing magic... I switched internal and external magic. My excuse? The English translation absolutely _fails_ at differenciating between them (calling them all 'magic'), so I had to take a stab based on what I knew about elves and humans. Anyway. I fixed that here and (hopefully) in all other future chapters. Please let me know if I missed it somewhere!**

**Thank you, Dusky-chan, for the suggestion for Mint's animal nickname!**

**Also, please welcome Mel and Dio from Tales of Phantasia: Narikiri Dungeon! I haven't played the game, so I only know minimal about their personalities... I hope I don't have them out of character...**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of Phantasia, Tales of Phantasia: Narikiri Dungeon, or Tales of Symphonia. They're all owned by Namco.**

**--Doom****ed man****--**

I eventually let her go and she walks off to her room. I lay down to go back to sleep. I wonder if I'll have another dream... Hey wait a second! The girl that was still in the restaurant in that last dream... I recognize her... that was Rhea! But what was _she_ doing there?! Rhea... I wonder what happened to her... if the girl that helped us was really Arche's friend or someone else... I slip into sleep...

Huh? Where am I...? I seem to be in a clothing shop... Ah! Suzu's here! "Suzu! What's going on?"

"I don't know. Is this a dream...?" the young ninja asks.

"Dio! They're here!" a girl's voice calls out, and coming from a back room is a young girl with pure white hair that curls out at the tips. Her eyes are also white and stare at us calmly, as if she was expecting us. Around her head is a white headband, and she's wearing a white dress with a small orange jacket; the sleeves of the jacket are long, while her dress doesn't go down very far on her legs. On her dress are a few black lines that lead down...

"Eehhh?! Already?! I'll be there in a minute!" a boy's voice yells from behind the girl.

The kid sighs and walks over to us. "You two must be Chester-san and Suzu-san. My name is Mel. My brother, Dio, will be here in a minute..."

"Wait, but how do you know our names? And how'd we get here?!" I demand.

Mel puts her small hands on her hips. She can't be any older than thirteen... She's a little taller than Suzu, but not much. "Norn sent you. She asked us to make something for you, but we needed to meet you first..."

Norn? Who's _that_?!

A young boy who looks almost exactly like Mel runs out of the back and brings himself to a halt, breathing heavily. His hair, though long, is much shorter than his sister's. His white eyes are much more energetic, especially paired with his wide grin. He's wearing a black shirt with white pants that have black lines over them. His green jacket is the same style as Mel's but his continues down in the back, flowing into two spikes that end near his feet. "Hello! My name's Dio!"

"I already told them. What took you so long, anyway? We have a lot of work to do if we want to finish this in one day!"

"R-right!" Dio stutters. "Sorry, Mel!"

"I don't really understand, what are you two doing...?"

Dio's grin widens as he pulls out measuring tape. "We're going to make something for you two!"

"But why only us?" questions the ninja.

"_They_ underestimate you two, but not Norn. If you want to rise above them and stop the calamity that's going to happen, you'll need our help," Mel says calmly as she takes her own measuring tape over to Suzu. Dio walks over to me and starts taking measurements.

"No offense, but how are clothes going to help...?"

"These aren't just any clothes!" Dio answers, not sounding at all offended by my question. "These are _special_..."

Finishing up, Mel hands each of us a card and says, "Drop by tomorrow night."

"But Mel, it's _always_ night here!" Dio protests. Always night...?

Mel waves a hand in dismissal. "Time is still flowing is it not? We won't have these ready until at least tomorrow night, so come when you can."

"A-all right..." I mutter as I pocket the card.

"See you tomorrow, then!" says Dio with a thumbs-up.

"Bye-bye!"

The siblings hold up a picture of a large tree and the clothing store vanishes into darkness. Suzu's still here, though... What's going on?! Who is this 'Norn'...?

Now we're standing before a large tree, a red sky over our heads. This tree isn't Yggdrasil...

"Please save them," a woman's voice says—it seems to be coming from the tree... "If you don't do something, two of your friends will die. Maybe all four of them if they tries to stop it..."

All four...? This doesn't include me and Suzu, and that's not enough people for the rebels... Is she talking about the other Heroes of Space-Time? Arche, Cless, Mint, and Klarth...? Two of them will die?! Cless must be one... but then who's...

Arche...! That's what the person meant... Arche's in danger! Cless and Arche may die... does Klarth realize this?! Wait, she said all four of them could die... but Klarth's against us...

...Isn't he...?

"No... three of you may die..." the tree whispers. "Her plots are already affecting you..." A branch sways over towards me like a hand. Me, too?!

"But Klarth's already against us," Suzu tells the tree. "And I'm not sure about the others anymore..."

Suzu... she's feeling as lost as I am, isn't she...? Who do we trust...?

"Look inside your heart for the answers. Don't you still trust your friends...?"

Wind blows violently around us, and next thing I know, I'm back in the Japoni inn. That was weird... but that woman doesn't understand... How do I know who to trust? Every time I put my trust in someone, they turn against me... I trust Lynn. She hasn't turned against me or left me by her own will... the others, though... Cless attacked me once, and Klarth's attacking me now. I don't know much about Mint, but she's the princess... Suzu is also having this conflict, but she's always so distant and secretive... how can I trust someone like that? And Arche... she left us... I want to trust her, but how am I to know she won't leave again when we need her...? In the end, maybe Lynn and Ami are the only ones I can trust...

_"Look inside your heart for the answers."_ What'd she mean by that? I don't follow... And she said that I may die. Feh, I'll show her... I'm _not_ going to die! As long as I'm careful who I trust, I'll be fine, right?

Wait, that was a dream, right? I wonder... I reach into my pocket, where my hand touches the card. But how...?! I pull it out and stare at it. It reads: "Come visit the Narikiri Costume Shop in Arlee! It's right next to the 3AM. Owners: Meltia and Dios Bundy. Contact information..." I stuff the card back in my pocket. They're in Arlee... we're planning on going there after Morlia and the Cave of Burning Sand, right? We still need Maxwell, Shadow, Aska, and Efreet for Suzu... plus whatever Mint needs.

Someone knocks on the door. I get up and answer it to see all of the girls standing there and ready to go, Noishe already loaded up with Cless, the pack, and the hat next to them. I still need to tell Fenrir where Martel is... I'll have to wait for her to contact me, though. Until then, I'll continue gathering my powers. If all else fails, I know where she is, so I can drop by and ask her how to get to Derris-Kharlan and what to do about Martel...

I throw my quiver and my bow over my back and slip my shoes on. "Let's go."

"Yeah, let's try to get at least three today!" Arche says.

"To Morlia Mineshaft!" Lynn agrees and Suzu transports us out of the village. We start walking towards where Alvanista is.

"So, Mint, where do you still need to go?" I ask.

"The ninjas have taken me almost everywhere so I could get a better healing spell... so all I really need are Maxwell, Shadow, and Aska."

"That's perfect. Efreet's the only other one we have to stop by."

"Mint needs a nickname," the witch speaks up.

"A nickname?"

"That's right! We gave each other animal nicknames yesterday. Chester's a fox, Suzu's a sparrow, Cless is a horse, Lynn's a wolf, and I'm—"

"A weasel!" I input, which causes her to glare at me. She's gliding on her broom again today...

Mint giggles. "Ahh, I see! What should I be, then...?"

"What about 'Dove'?" suggest Arche.

"You really like those bird names, don't you?" I joke.

"Of course!" She spins around so that she's lying on her broom as it flies with us now. "It's fun flying with the birds!"

"It fits since Mint's a princess," Lynn points out.

"Yeah, you're right!" We all laugh. I wonder... does Suzu remember the dream? She was really there, wasn't she...? She's walking in the rear, so I fall back to walk with her.

"Suzu..." I say quietly so the others can't hear. "You had that weird dream with Mel and Dio last night, right...?"

"Yes. So then it was real..."

"But why us? Why not the others?" As I say this, we turn off the path to Alvanista, sticking near the beach. There's a port just ahead of us...

"I don't know. Maybe because our enemies underestimate us."

"Keh. We'll show them! ...Are we going to visit Mel and Dio again when we go to Arlee?"

"Why not? We should at least see what they have to say."

"Yeah, you're right..."

Lynn falls back next to us. "We're almost there! Mint-san says she can get us in with no problem!"

"Get us in? Is there a problem with entering the mineshaft?" I question.

"Only those with the permission of the king can enter," Lynn explains. "But since Mint's the princess, she can get us in without having to kiss up to the king."

I see the cave just ahead on this long beach. We continue walking in silence, the bottom of our shoes wet and covered in sand. We enter the cave.

Inside are a pair of guards up front, and I see more further back. Mint walks up to them.

"P-princess!" the guards stutter, surprised, as they bow.

"I ask that you allow us to pass."

"You want to go into the mines, Princess?"

"It's too dangerous. You shouldn't be here...!"

"I am accompanied by the Heroes of Space-Time. Surely you've heard of them..."

The guards stare at us, awe-struck. "Heroes..."

"It is of up-most importance that we travel through here."

"Very well. You may proceed," the guard on the right says. We walk past them and further into the dark cave.

"Researchers are here all the time," the dove tells us, "so we should have a straight path down." We walk around a small wall of stone to find stairs that lead down. There are guards surrounding the stairs, but they let us pass. The stairs lead down to level four without stopping. On level four, there are more guards and a set of stairs continues further down, but there's also a path to our left; we walk down the stairs.

The stares come to a halt at level nine, where there are yet more guards. We head down the path to the left, which is the only way we can go. We take a right as soon as we can. At the end of this hall, it turns to the right again...

And here there are many pillars of fire blocking us.

"How will we get past...?"

"Too bad we don't have Undine..."

"Arche-san, are there any spells you can use to stop the fire?" Lynn questions.

"I can try!" Arche starts charging up a spell while the rest of us stand back. "Ice Tornado!" she yells as she throws her hand at the fire. Ice swirls around the fire, engulfing it. When it clears, the pillars of fire have turned into pillars of ice. "Er..."

"Arche! We still can't get through!"

"I-I don't know what happened! It shouldn't do that!"

"Try reversing it?" suggests Mint.

"Okay!" She begins charging up again, bringing her hands up. "Fire Storm!" The ice melts and the pillars of fire are still there.

"What else can we do..." I mutter.

"I can try." I turn back to stare at the speaker: Lynn.

"You? Do you have magic, Lynn?"

The wolf-girl smiles softly. "Yes." She begins charging up her mana, sparkles around her. "Aqua Laser!" she yells as she throws her hands in front of her. Water shoots from her hands, hitting the fire and effectively stopping it. Wow... I had no clue Lynn could do anything like that! We run down the path.

"Chester..." Arche whispers to me—we're a little behind the rest. "Humans... can't use magic."

"But Klarth summons... and Mint heals..."

"Summoning is a different matter all together—summoners don't actually use magic, but instead they call upon the spirit whom they've made a pact with to fight for them. Humans can only use minor magic, such as small tricks... And healing magic is internal magic—it uses power from one person to help another. That's different from external magic, or elemental magic, like what I use... and what Lynn just used. Chester, Lynn _can't_ be a human!"

I stare at the woman. Is she a half elf, then...? I wouldn't blame her for hiding that... there seems to be a lot of discrimination against them...

Past the path, we head right and circle around to more stairs. On level ten, there's a sign that reads "Dead End" and two warp portals. Mint steps on the portal on the right. Noishe follows her, then Arche and Suzu. Lynn and I bring up the rear.

It transports us to a large room with four directions. In each direction, we find what looks to be an alter... and there are four signs as well. "What does it want...?"

"The four summon spirits of the elements," answers Lynn. "I can trick it, though I'll be weak afterwards."

I nod. "Don't worry, I'll protect you... So do what you must."

Lynn heads south first, where I see her preparing a spell. While she works, the rest of us wait in the center.

"Cless-san..." Mint mutters as she rests a hand on the swordsman's head. "I hope I'll be able to heal him after this..."

"Yeah, he's been asleep for way too long."

"We only have three more after this! We're almost done!" Arche cheers.

Lynn returns to us from the right passage. How'd she finish so quickly?! She looks exhausted, though... She falls and I catch her. "Chester..."

"You're okay. Thank you, Lynn... Rest on Noishe now." I guide her over to the growling dog and help her up behind Cless. She sits down and we head off to the other portal.

Here we find a large, shining black stone. This writing... it's the same as what we saw in the Tower of the Zodiac! A light shines across the tablet before energy shoots out of it and straight at us. This is another piece of my power! This skill is... Giga Fang...

"So this is what a hot spring's like..." Cless mutters as we put our clothes in baskets. Me, Cless, and Klarth are wrapped up in towels, and Klarth actually doesn't have his hat on. Klarth goes ahead and gets in while Cless and I talk.

"It kinda smells like rotten eggs," I say in the memory, which is true. Cless goes in the hot springs, and I follow him. We sit in a triangle, relaxing in the warm water with steam floating around us.

"This is great," mutters the summoner.

"Mint, hurry up!" I hear Arche call from the other side of the stone wall that separates our hot spring from the girl's hot spring. Everyone is silent for a minute... The next thing I hear is from Arche again: "Are you kidding? It's awesome!" Another pause. Klarth's rambling about something... I'm not really paying attention, though. "Whoa!" the witch exclaims, grabbing my attention yet again. I wonder how they're doing over there...

"What's wrong?!" Mint sounds worried...

"You look fabulous, Mint!"

"Huh?!" I tune in more, curious. "Stop making fun of me!"

"No, really! I'm just a skinny twig compared to you! I'm jealous..."

"Oh, be quiet!" Mint yells back, sounding nervous.

I turn to the other two guys. "Did you hear that?"

"Hear what?"

"What Arche and Mint were talking about! This warrants further investigation, I'd say." I get up and walk out of the water.

"Wait!" Cless calls, but I continue walking to the wall. "I wouldn't do that if I were you!"

I begin climbing up the stones as Klarth says, "Ah, to be young again..."

"I don't even want to know what you mean by that..." mutters Cless.

I reach the top of the wall and stare down at the girls, who are wrapped only in towels. My eyes fall on Arche... Wow, I never realized just how...

"I knew you were a bad boy!" Arche screams at me as she picks up a bucket that's beside her. She chucks it at me—ack! It hits me and I release the wall, flying backwards into the water of the hot springs.

"I told you..." mutters the swordsman.

The scene fades out, and when it returns, we're still in the hot springs. This feels a little different, though... is this a different time? "Yep... There's nothing better than soaking in a hot spring," mutters Cless.

"Yeah, it's like it recharges your body or something..." I agree.

"Ahhh... I feel like a new man," says Klarth.

Cless is staring at me... "Hm? What the heck are you looking at?"

"Chester, you've bulked up. You look much bigger than you were before."

"You think? I guess it's 'cause of all that training I've been doing lately."

"That chest, those arms, and those six-pack abs. What a difference!"

"Heh heh..." I wonder how I look now...

"Klarth," Suzu says as she walks in from the door. She's fully dressed. "Your snack is ready."

"Oh, thanks," says the summoner. "Just bring it over here, will ya."

"Klarth... I see you're making yourself right at home," mumbles Cless. "And... oh!" He suddenly notices something behind me. I turn around to see Arche peeking over the wall. Wait, didn't she throw a bucket at _me_ for doing that?!

"Hiya, fellas!" Arche greets nervously. "How ya doin'?"

The scene fades out and I'm back in Morlia Mineshaft. The others slowly drift out of their memories as well. "Three more!" cheers the weasel.

"Only two more for most of you," a familiar voice says from behind us. Klarth and Curt...! Klarth's already preparing a summon. No!

"Let's go!" I yell as I notch an arrow and aim it at Klarth. Mint and Arche begin charging up a spell while Suzu charges at Curt. I release and the arrow hits him in the side of his stomach. I notch another.

"Hell Rush!" Suzu yells; she pulls her dagger back and sweeps it forward, then again, and again, pushing the large man back with each attack, and at the end she jumps and kicks him in the face with her right foot.

"Sharpness!" Mint calls and a red prism forms around me. I feel like I have more strength now... I release again.

"Sylph!"

"Debris Fall!"

My arrow gets blown away as the Sylph twins charge through, a tornado in their wake. As Sylph charges, large boulders smash on Klarth and Curt, shaking the ground. Even after the rocks disappear, the ground continues shaking...

"It's gonna cave in!" I realize. Curt curses as he teleports him and Klarth out of the cavern. "Come back here!"

"Never mind them!" Arche shrieks. "Let's just get outta here!"

We run to the portal, which transports us back to level ten. We hurry out of here—oh no! The fire's back!

"A switch...!" Mint pulls a switch on the wall, and drops of water fall into the fire, dousing it. We run across and head for the stairs as fast as we can. The cave begins crumbling around us, boulders falling everywhere. One's falling towards Mint...!

"Mint! Watch out!"

The princess looks up and panics, throwing her staff up in defense. "Barrier!" The stone crumbles on the invisible barrier and we continue racing up the stairs.

A pair of gargoyles come down the stairs to block our way. All right, that's it! I notch an arrow in my bow and concentrate my energy in it. The arrow grows bigger and bigger, until it's taller than Suzu, and I pull back as far as I can... and release. "Giga Fang!" The arrow goes straight through one of the gargoyles, killing it instantly.

"Merciless Thunder!" Suzu easily kills the other one and we continue running. On floor four, Mint orders the guards to get out of the cave. As they start to run with us, Auoun runs into the area from deeper in the cave.

"What happened?!" he demands.

"Auoun! Never mind, just get out of here!" Mint yells and we start running up the stairs again.

We reach floor one and run outside, where a bunch more guards are waiting. We turn and watch as rocks fall down, blocking the entrance. The ground continues shaking for many minutes... I don't know how long... When it finishes, we stare in silence for a moment.

"Wow..."

"From what I hear, it was really old... over six-thousand years..." Mint explains. "I guess it was about time for it to fall..."

"Eh heh heh... whoops..." Arche mutters. "Sorry..."

"It wasn't just you," Lynn comforts her. "It was Klarth's spell as well."

"I'm just glad we got out of there alive... let's not repeat that again..." I tell them; they quickly agree.

"So then you're fighting Klarth?" inquires Auoun.

"Yeah. He's a traitor..."

"What are you doing here, Auoun? Are you on a mission for Father?"

"Everyone's looking for you, Mint... I'm glad you're all right. You should come back to the castle..."

"Thank you for your concern, but I must travel with my friends. ...Where are your guards?"

"They left me behind. Yours?" Again? This guy doesn't have much luck with guards...

"I left _them_ behind."

"O-oh..."

"I'm sorry, Auoun, but if you'll excuse us, we must finish our quest," Mint says kindly, though I can tell her dislike for the man. So then, the Cave of Burning Sand next?"

"Yeah. Hey Arche, don't crash that one down!"

"I won't! And it was Klarth, too!"

"Let's head to the port," the youngest of the group says as she starts walking. One by one, we follow her to the port I saw on the way. It doesn't take long to get there, as it's just down the beach. There, I open the wing pack and let the ship out, and we board it.

"This won't be a long journey... Mint-san, will you make us something to eat while we steer?" Lynn asks kindly.

"I'd love to!" With a smile, the princess walks down below deck while Lynn, Arche, and I head over to the anchor.

"So we have to do this again..." I mumble. "All right, let's get working!" We grab the rope—whoa, it's coming up a lot easier than last time! Wait, that sparkle... mana? It's coming from Lynn... she's guiding the anchor up! When it's up, I give her a small hug. "You should rest, Lynn. I'll steer."

"All right. We're going just a little southeast," she says as she finds a spot to sit on the boat. Arche and I head up to the wheel, where I take it and start us moving. Arche's using her magic to guide the sails... she's concentrating really hard, and it's going smoothly. I guide the wheel along, heading southeast like Lynn said to do. There's the Freyland port... Mint brings up the snacks as I dock. We sit in a circle and begin eating. This is delicious!

"Wow, Mint-san! You're cooking's amazing!" Lynn compliments the princess.

"Yeah, this is the best I've ever had!" I agree. Mint didn't make many snacks, but it'll be enough to last for a while. We walk off the ship and I pack it back in the magical capsule. We walk out of the port. Ugh, I hate the desert... it's so hot... Wait, this is the hottest part of the day, isn't it?! Figures... maybe we should've thought this out... I'm already starting to grow sweaty. Everything's so flat and sandy... Aw, sand's starting to get into my boot. I hate the desert...

This is where Arche and I came to meet up with Klarth... how long ago was that? It feels like it's been ages...

"Let's hurry..." mutters Arche. "I don't want to be here long..." We quicken our pace until we reach the Cave of Burning Sand. We head straight in, going straight through the open doors to where we once met Efreet. Now we just need to wait for Suzu to finish her memory... I wipe sweat off of my forehead.

"We're going pretty quickly," Mint points out. "We might get both the others today at this rate."

"All right! We'll be done in no time!" cheers the witch. "Next is Arlee, right?"

"Really? Arlee?" The princess stares at the lava as she considers this. "So we're going from burning hot to freezing cold..."

"...What?" Why isn't there a medium anymore?!

"Eh heh... I guess we didn't plan it that well..."

Arlee... that's where Mel and Dio are... I pull the card out of my pocket and stare at it.

"What's that?" Lynn questions, turning everyone's attention to the small card.

"It's something Suzu and I got. The owners of it asked us to stop by while in Arlee..." I hand it over to let them look at it.

"We can go there while in Arlee. I'd like to meet them!" Mint says kindly as she hands back the card. I pocket it and Suzu comes out of her memory.

"Let's go," she says and we head out. I'm glad this trip wasn't long. We walk back towards the port. The desert really drains your energy...

"Efreet!"

Ack! The fire balls hit us all, burning us... "Klarth!" He and Curt are standing there in the heat, almost like a mirage... "It's already hot enough here!"

"Seriously, couldn't you use an ice spell? Allow me to demonstrate..." Arche begins charging up; so does Klarth. Suzu and Curt charge in, attacking each other, and I notch my bow and aim it at Klarth. Wait, Curt's lightning! It spreads, knocking Suzu back; I swiftly turn my bow to him and release the arrow. It pierces his skin, lodging in to his stomach, but he doesn't seem to notice.

"Ice Tornado!"

"Luna!" Why do _they_ get the cold side of this?! Luna ascends from the sky, sitting on her moon with a worried look on her face. She opens her mouth as if to talk, but no sound comes out. She closes her eyes and pillars of light rain down on us from above—ow! It hurts...! I stumble backwards, trying to hold on to my bow, my body aching. Regaining my balance, I jump into the air—"Eagle Shot!" Blades of wind cut through our enemies, throwing them back. Curt's shivering now, from the ice and wind attack! Yes!

"L-let's go..."

"You're not getting sick, are you, Curt?" Klarth asks his companion.

"N-no! Of course not! Let's just go!" The two vanish in their pillar of light. Whew, at least that didn't last too long...

Mint passes out apple gels and we each eat one to keep going. The port is humid with the sea breeze... we'll be out of it soon. Wait, Auoun's at this port? Wasn't he at the last port, too?

"Auoun!" Lynn calls out and we hurry over to the young man.

"Hello! I always run into you, it seems!"

"What are you doing here, Auoun?" questions Mint.

"Well, I was running an errand for the king, and I decided to visit Olive while here... but I guess my companions didn't notice I wasn't with them."

"In other words, you got left behind..." mutters his sister.

"You don't have to say it so bluntly..."

"You're on your way back to Alvanista then?" the princess inquires.

"Yes."

"Does my father know where I am?"

"He only knows what Curt and Klarth tell him when they return from their missions... He doesn't approve of you traveling with the rebels, so I hear they're supposed to get you back... That doesn't seem to be working out for them now, does it?"

"No, it doesn't! Well, thank you, Auoun... I hope you're able to catch a ship to Alvanista soon."

"Thank you. Take care, Mint... I wish I could travel with you, but..."

Mint shakes her head. "No, you have your own place. Thank you for not telling my father about our travels. Chester-san, shall we get going?"

I nod and open the wing pack; the ship jumps into existence in front of us. We board it and get to work, each of us with the same tasks as last time. This time I'm heading southwest. I steer out of the desert area and onto the open sea. I prefer land, but I guess it's not so bad when I'm steering... at least I'm doing something and I can see where we're going.

"Turn to the right a little!" Suzu yells down from the cockpit and I follow her directions. I pull the heavy wheel to the right and the ship slowly turns in the waves.

"How's this?" I call up.

"Good."

After a little longer, she jumps down and tells me to go right a little more. I see a small bend of snow-covered land come into view, and past that is a small port. It's so dark... it's not night, is it? "What time is it?"

"It's only four o'clock," answers Suzu.

"Arlee is the town of eternal night," the wolf-girl explains as I pull into the dock. That must be why Arche and Suzu think Shadow's here... Mint brings up more snacks, and we eat again before getting off of the ship. Once off, I pack it up again and we march through the snow to the lights of the city I see off in the distance.

Arlee is surrounded by walls, and there's an entrance in the north and one in the south. We head in through the northern entrance. There's snow falling all around, and the trees surrounding the path leading in are white from the frost. To our left is a shop and in front of that the weapon shop; further up is what looks to be the inn. There are some houses past them. On the other side, I notice what looks to be a bar and another shop of some sort. It's a small, quiet town, but it brings a feeling of peace...

"Let's fine the Narikiri Costume Shop," I say and everyone agrees.

_"Be careful,"_ Fenrir's voice says in my head as my pendant grows warm.

Fenrir! There you are! I found out where Martel is!

_"Where is she?"_

Derris-Kharlan... but she's helping that planet.

_"We'll figure out what to do about that once you get your powers back. But since you know about Derris-Kharlan... I must warn you. The __Bundys__ are dangerous—they're the reason Derris-Kharlan is in the state it is... them and their magitech weapons..."_

Klarth mentioned magitechnology before... what is it?

_"It's dangerous technology. It draws large amounts of mana from the planet to achieve its goals, often destroying more than it's meant to. Humans were foolish for creating it..."_

And Mel and Dio made some?

_"Yes, in their previous lives. Be wary of them..."_

All right. I will.

The pendant turns cold again as I notice we're walking to the building behind the weapon shop. We enter and I see the same colorful clothing shop from before. Mel and Dio are behind the counter, working hard on making clothes. That's what they're making for me and Suzu... how am I to know these clothes are safe...?

"Ah! Chester-san! Suzu-san!" Dio exclaims as he tries to jump up. He pulls something and staggers.

"Hey there. How's it coming?"

"We're almost done, but we'll be a little longer," answers the girl as she continues sewing. "Can you come back later?"

"Sure. We haven't gotten Shadow yet..."

"Wow!" Arche exclaims, and I turn to see her browsing through the clothes. "This is amazing...! Did you make all of these yourselves?!"

"Yeah. We've been traveling around making outfits for people for a while!" answers Dio.

"These are amazing..." Mint agrees as she delicately runs her hand down one.

"We should hurry up and get Shadow," the sparrow suggests.

"Right. Let's go. We'll be back!" I wave bye to Mel and Dio as we leave the shop and head out of Arlee through the southern gate. We head across the cold, snowy landscape...

The others look cold, all except Suzu folding their arms over their bodies to try and warm up. I wrap an arm around Lynn to help her. Her body is so warm... maybe we'll both warm up like this... I'm already feeling a little warmer as she lays her head on my shoulder.

We reach a cave and head in to find—wait, what's with all of these people?! What are they waiting for...

"Wow, this many people to see the museum?" Arche mumbles. "Hey, Mint, can you get us in quickly?"

"I'll try. Wait here." The princess ducks through the crowd while we wait patiently. It's cold here, too...

"...I'm coming with you!" Arche yells as she zooms over the head of the crowd and follows her friend. Suzu pets Noishe, but I can see her trying to bury her freezing hands in his fur. Everyone's cold... I wonder how Cless is fairing. He can't warm himself up... and that metal must be pretty cold... Feeling cold myself, I pull Lynn even closer.

"Let us through!" someone booms, and the crowd splits for the guards, the princess, and the princess' friend. The rest of us walk up to join them, and they lead us up the stairs leading out of the cave and up to a cliff. At the end of the cliff is a black bridge, where we meet a tour guide.

"Hello, I'm Kyetia and I'll be your tour guide for today!" the young woman greets us. "This is the bridge leading in to the castle, which wasn't here when the Heroes of Space-Time fought the Demon King. They reached the castle by warping..." The castle ahead of us is large with many towers. It's floating in mid air, its walls white. We walk across the white bridge covered in snow to the castle. Kyetia leads us inside, where the atmosphere is much darker... Here we go... Just two summons left!

**Chester gained the title of Doomed Man. It is a title given to one who is predicted to die.**

**Mint gained the title of Dove. It is a title given to one who channels the spirit of the dove.**

**Arche gained the title of Disastrous Woman. She can destroy an entire cave with just one blast!**

**Chester learned Giga Fang.**

**Arche learned Debris Fall.**

**Cless learned Beast.**

**Suzu learned Shadow Storm level 3.**

**Mint learned Barrier.**

**Suzu learned Flare Blitz.**


	26. Narikiri Boy

**I have edited one scene in this ****times... so I hope that in the end, it came out fine... Well, please enjoy this fun chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of Phantasia, Tales of Phantasia: Narikiri Dungeon, or Tales of Symphonia. They are all owned by Namco.**

**--****Narikiri Boy****--**

"Where would Shadow be?" I ask my companions.

"Probably at the top..."

"Here we have the entrance hall. To our left is the dungeon where the Heroes got transported to if they did not possess a Derris-Emblem. Here, you'll need to hold on to these for the duration of the tour..." The tour guide hands us each small, round emblems. "Ahead are rooms that might have once been filled with treasure and monsters. Now we'll go on to the left..." We follow the lady down the dark path to the left, which leads to a set of stairs.

"Hey, who votes we ditch this tour?" Arche mutters. She sounds kinda strange, and I hear her sniffle... We all raise our hands to her question. "All right then... on my spell... Stone Blast!" she says it quiet enough so our tour guide can't hear, and stones fall off in the distance.

"Ah, I should go see what that is!" Kyetia says. "W-wait here!" She runs over to where the spell landed and we make a run for it. There's a passage behind a wall on the left, so we take that, which leads to a sign. It's talking about a secret passage...

"This way," Lynn says and she leads us right back out to where we escaped the guide. I don't see the woman anymore... she must be looking for us. Lynn touches the wall that we hid behind, and her hands go through it. Whoa...! She walks through, and one by one we each follow her. On the other side, there are stairs leading upwards. On the third floor, there's a door leading straight ahead and one to our right. The one ahead of us is locked, so we head to the right. We follow the path around, looking in the doors we pass. The second door leads us up to the next floor.

I guess it's a good thing this is a museum... there's a sign here that's talking about switches, but we just take the first right and head up to the fifth floor with no problems. We'll be at the top pretty quickly like this!

As we walk on the fifth floor, Lynn notices a secret passage on our right, which we take. It leads us around to the next set of stairs. This must have been hard to get through when we were going to fight Dhaos...

The sixth floor has two doors, and we head through the one on the right first. There's nothing in this room, so we exit and head to the left. Arche's falling behind a little... Hey, is it just me, or does she look pale...? "Arche, are you okay?"

"Huh? Yeah, I'm fine!" she answers with a small sniffle. She's not getting sick, is she...?

"Let's take a left here," Mint suggests at the fork in the road. We follow this path around, and ahead we see more stairs up.

The next floor has stairs right away, leading us up and around in the opposite direction. We climb up, only to find more stairs... and more... This seems to be a maze, except with only one path... We keep marching up the stairs and along long paths that lead to even more stairs. When's the end of this thing...?

Ah, here it is! It spits us out in a large, white room with many columns. Standing in the middle of it are Klarth and Curt, and I notice Shadow disappear into one of Klarth's rings. No...! He has nine of them now! ...That must be a lot of talking in his mind...

"Acid Rain!" Mint yells as she holds up her staff. Dark rain hails over our enemies, not hurting them, but... well, I guess it does _something_ to them...

"Welcome," Klarth says. "We only have one more left..."

"I won't let you get Aska!" I yell as I pull an arrow out of my quiver and notch it on my bow. The others prepare for the fight as well.

"What can you do about it?" the summoner asks. "You're powerless... you can't do anything to stop us."

"Klarth..." I remember what the person in the tree said. People will die... "Three of us are going to die if you continue doing this! Are you all right with that?!"

"I know," he answers calmly. "And I know who they are, too."

"Let me guess: me, Cless, and Arche."

Arche lets out a small gasp from behind me.

"Good job, you got two out of three right." What?! Only two out of three?! I know I'm one... so which one of them is it not?! And who is it that's going to die instead...?! Not Suzu, which means it must be... Mint and Cless...!

"Hey, don't play games with them. We have to hurry and find Aska!" Curt comments impatiently as he twirls his large hammer.

Someone coughs lightly behind me.

"While we're here, we should take Cless, Mint, and Arche with us, don't you think?" Klarth asks his companion. Wait, Cless, Mint, _and_ Arche?! But they hadn't shown much interest in taking Arche before...!

"Fine. Then let's hurry!" Curt lifts up his hammer and electricity charges through it, shooting at us.

"Barrier!" Mint yells as she steps in front of us, guarding us from the volt. Klarth is charging up a summon, and Curt steps in front of him.

"Flare Blitz!" Suzu yells as she throws three fiery shurikens at Curt. The shurikens hit, but he doesn't even wince from the attack. I shoot an arrow at him as Suzu charges in. This guy has amazing stamina! He acts like the arrows lodged in his skin are small thorns and the cuts from Suzu's blade only paper cuts...

"I summon thee... Come, Shadow!" Klarth yells and the room suddenly gets darker. I can't see anything! Ow—it feels like the darkness is bashing me from all over! The area grows light again as I stagger backwards.

"Nurse!" Mint yells and I see the small angels come to heal us. Feeling refreshed, I pull out another arrow.

"Gale Shot!" Multiple arrows shoot at Curt, hitting the giant. He only smirks and swings down at Suzu, who jumps back just in time—the hammer smashes through the ground, sending rocks flying through the air. Two can play at that game! I run forward and jump in the air, aiming an arrow down at the ground. "Sonic Bash!" I release and the arrow charges at the ground; upon contact, rocks explode around Curt, some hitting the summoner behind him.

"Tempest!" Arche's spell explodes into three tornados, slashing violently at our enemies. Klarth holds his head as if it's hurting...

"C-Curt... let's retreat..." he mutters. Curt scowls, but he initiates the teleportation spell and they disappear in a blue light. We still have to stop them before they reach Aska...!

There's a spot of darkness hanging in the middle of the room. We all walk over to it, and the darkness separates and goes into us.

What's this new skill? This feels even newer than the others... Piercing Line...

"Dhaos! You can't get away this time!" Cless yells—we're in a room with a transparent floor, showing outer space and the two moons... Now all six of us are together, standing across from a tall man... He has long, curly blonde hair and sapphire eyes with a red head band. His face is pale and slender, covered on the outside by a black cloth that also covers his neck. His tight shirt is that black material covered in strange, smooth yellow lines that curve in an odd pattern. It continues all the way down to his shoes, covering his feet. He wears a large, flowy red cloak—or is it a cape?—over all of his clothes with the same odd pattern. Under that is another, thicker cloak, this one black with the yellow patterns. The black cloak ends in many yellow strands around his feet. On his wrists are large silver bracelets, and his bare fingers are even more pale than his face. So this man is Dhaos...

Dhaos laughs. "I must admit, I'm impressed that you made it this far. I'll honor you by referring to you as 'Heroes of Legend' from now on," the man says sarcastically.

"Shut your trap!" I combat. "I'm going to make you regret everything you've done!"

"Wait!"

"Mint, stay back!" Klarth tries to stop the healer, but she steps forward anyway.

"What? Isn't it a little late to be begging for your life?" questions our enemy.

"I want to ask you something," the woman says calmly. "You said you had no reason to fight us, before. Can you explain what you meant?"

Dhaos pauses, startled by this question. "...None of you had anything to do with the development of magitech."

"What's wrong with magitech?"

"Magitech drains the power of mana! I must slaughter all humans who use magitech."

"Why?!" demands the Swordsman of Space-Time. "Why would you go so far as to destroy the world just to do that?!"

"What, do you want to protect the environment or something?" Klarth asks seriously, though I detect a small hint of sarcasm in his voice.

The man laughs more. "Hahaha... You think I'm trying to protect the environment? Do I look like a tree-hugger to you? I need the power of mana for my own purposes, and that's all there is to it!"

"So you want to use the power of mana to conquer the world?!" I demand.

"Hahaha, I could hardly care less about who rules this planet. I'm here on a mission to bring back the Mana Seed! And you won't stop me!"

Mana Seed... that disappeared after we stopped Dhaos, didn't it?! But why... I don't understand...

"Mana Seed?" I ask in the memory.

"I don't care... what your mission is. You treat people like insects, and you'll pay the price for your cruelty!" Cless yells as he draws his sword.

"Say what you will! I hope you're ready!" Dhaos charges in to attack us and the scene fades out...

When it returns, it seems to be after the fight... Dhaos is laying on the ground, and all of us are standing in front of him in a line, Mint in the back. "Is he finally gone?" Cress asks.

Dhaos begins laughing and we jump back in surprise. "I said you wouldn't stop me! For my people, who have been waiting for my return so long... You'll never stop me!" Dhaos holds his hands up and the room disappears—we're floating in space?!

"The floor?!"

"Bwahahahahahahaaa! This'll be more fun without obstacles! Time to unleash all my power on you! Derris-Kharlan, my mother world! Release my power!"

Derris-Kharlan... so he must be an angel like Kratos and the others... As Dhaos begins transforming into something, the scene fades again. When it returns, we seem to have wounded Dhaos again...

"How do you like that?!"

"Grrr... No! I won't give up!" the stubborn man yells. "I can't give up! Not until... I have the Mana Seed! Oh, my gods! Gods of Derris-Kharlan... my mother world! Give me power! Give me power!" A light flashes around him and his clothes change to a pure white outfit. On his back are a pair of slender green wings of light...

"What the?!"

"Look out! There's something strange going on..." Klarth warns us, and Dhaos unleashes some of his power. I can feel it... I can feel it flowing through my body...! Raw energy...

"How is he doing that?!" I demand.

"Where does he get all of that magical energy?!" asks Arche.

"I beg of you... The prayers of my people... I... I can still fight!"

The scene fades yet again, and when it comes back, Dhaos is laying on his back. Cless walks up to him. "Is it really over this time...?"

Dhaos stirs a little and Cless shuffles back, holding his sword up in defense. "It's not over yet!" the swordsman exclaims.

"Wait, there's something strange going on with him!" Mint says as she rests a gentle hand on Cless' arm.

"Grr... I... I am close to death..." murmurs the evil man. "Nothing can stop that now... Before I die... Please listen... What was this fight... about in the first place?"

"Wha'?!"

The surrounding area fades yet again and I return to the white room, to the present time... Dhaos was from Derris-Kharlan... I don't fully understand. What was he trying to accomplish? What did he need the Mana Seed for?

"Arche-chan!" Mint yells and my attention snaps over to the witch, who's coughing violently.

"I-I'm fine..." she claims, but her coughs show her lie. I rush over to her and put my hand on her forehead. It's hot...!

"Arche, you're sick! We need to get you in bed!"

"I..."

"Suzu, can you warp us out of here?" I ask the ninja.

"...Very well. Shadow Storm!" We're soon back in Arlee, and I grab Arche's hand and drag her off to the inn. Inside, I immediately ask for a room for her and usher her in once the man behind the counter hands me the keys. The rest of the girls and Noishe follow behind me as I lead the witch over to a bed.

"Okay, okay! You're hurting me!" the girl complains before coughing again. I let her go and she takes her hair down so it's flowing around her body. She lies down in the bed and pulls the covers over herself. Mint walks over to the bed and begins concentrating on a spell.

"I'll take care of Arche... you should go see Mel and Dio."

"But—"

"Don't worry, we'll be fine," Mint assures me. "Go see what they wanted."

Fine... I start to reluctantly leave the inn with Suzu, but something catches my eye. Klarth's hat... it's still attached to the pack. He hasn't said anything about losing it this whole time... and he has hat hair. I walk over to Noishe and take the hat off of the pack for the first time since Klarth lost it. With it in my hands, I follow Suzu to the clothing shop. Inside, Mel and Dio are waiting for us, clothes in their hands.

"Chester-san, Suzu-san! Welcome back! Here you go!" Dio holds the clothes he made up to me, and Mel hands hers to Suzu.

"Hurry up and change."

I notice someone hiding behind the counter... Rhea?! What's _she_ doing here?! "Rhea!"

She stares up at me. "Eh heh heh... Hi guys! How are you doing?"

"How'd you get here?!"

"I came to visit my friends, Mel and Dio," Rhea explains. "Eh? Where's Arche-chan?"

"She's sick in the inn... I'm sure she'd like it if you paid a visit."

"I'll go do that, then," Rhea answers as she starts to head out. I hold a hand out in front of her to halt her.

"Wait. I have something to ask you first..." I take a deep breath. I need to get this out... "Are you really Rhea?"

"Ah! You know?!" Dio jumps forward, his face full of astonishment.

"_Now_ they know because you told them, Dio," Mel scolds her brother.

Rhea smiles sadly at me. "I'm... sorry... Rhea was almost dead when I met her... there was nothing I could do for her... But when I'm done helping you, I'll give Arche-chan a proper goodbye in Rhea's place..."

"Who are you?"

"My name is Norn. I am a goddess of Derris-Kharlan."

Derris-Kharlan?! Norn?!

"Please get changed... this is an important trial you must overcome if you want to save the lives of your friends," Norn says. "If you'll excuse me, I need to visit Rhea's friend..." She brushes past my arm and walks out the door, letting the cold air in. A trial... I take the clothes Dio's handing me, and Suzu takes her clothes. The siblings lead us to the back and show each of us where we can change.

I don't understand... what are these clothes supposed to do? I hold them up—they look exactly like the clothes Dio's wearing, only larger, to fit me... Well, I guess I might as well see what this is about... I change into the clothes. Just as I'm about to leave the room, I notice Klarth's hat... Klarth, the traitor... I'll leave it here for now.

Suzu and I walk out of our changing rooms at about the same time. She's dressed up like Mel, with the head band and everything. I don't feel any different... We walk out into the main room of the clothing shop.

"Hey, Dio, I don't understand what this is about..."

"Why don't you take a walk around the town?" suggests Mel.

"Yeah, there's a lot to see if you open your eyes!" agrees her brother. Keh, that's not a real answer... Suzu and I exchange confused glances and, with a shrug, we head out into the snow.

I don't understand what we're supposed to be looking for, though... and why we had to change into these clothes...

Hey, the man standing there... it's Dr. Lester! I stop Suzu and point.

"Father!" a familiar voice screams and Klarth runs over to the older man, not even noticing us.

"Ah, Klarth... Have you come to talk about research?"

"On that again?!" Klarth's voice shakes with rage. "Research... that's all you ever do! What about your family?! What about the people important to you?! Are we nothing?!"

"You're a Hero of Space-Time, aren't you?" Dr. Lester points out calmly.

"You're the worst father ever... You can't even cherish the people around you..." Klarth's grip tightens on his book and he swings it at the man. Dr. Lester pulls out a dagger and stabs the book, then swings at Klarth.

"Wait! Don't fight—" As I yell, the snow vanishes and I see a small room in the castle... Klarth and Milard are sitting here, Klarth staring at his notes...

"Milard," the researcher suddenly says. "Do you think I'm... too caught up in my research?"

"What do you mean?"

"I... don't want to be like my father. He's so caught up in his research that he doesn't have time for anyone... I hate that man, but... I'm worried that I'll become like him..."

Milard grabs Klarth's hand and caresses it. "You're not like that, Klarth... you care about the people around you. You love your friends... You know how I know that? Every day you come back here and tell me about your experience with your students, a bright gleam in your eyes. You care about them, don't you?"

"Yes..."

The scene fades back to the city of Arlee, where the two men are still fighting. What was that...? Mine and Suzu's shadows come up out of the ground, making black forms of both of us. What the...?!

"Love and hate... they're a lot alike," my shadow notes. "They're both strong feelings... One cannot love without hating, or hate without loving. But what are those without parents supposed to emulate?" The men fade into the snow. What's going on...? Is this the work of these clothes...?

"Chester, over there!" Suzu points, and I follow her finger to find Meryl Adnade standing outside of the inn. We run over to her, but she acts as if she doesn't see us...

"Mint... please be safe on your journey..." the woman whispers as she holds her hands up as if to pray. "I wish I could talk to you, that you could know who I am..."

"Why does she hide from her own daughter?" questions Suzu's shadow. "Is she that ashamed? If people can't admit to their own faults, they shouldn't slow others down."

Meryl also disappears and we silently walk into the inn. In the lobby, we see Cless and Mint... Wait, Cless is awake?! But how...?!

"Mint, it's okay... we'll find a way through this, I promise. Just try your best, and I will, too..." Cless pulls the healer into a hug.

"I know, Cless... I'll try, for Arche-chan and everyone else..." Cless lets go. "I will do my best to heal everyone."

"Keh. She's needed by many people, but how can she understand them? She doesn't even know what it's like to be unloved..." my shadow points out. This is strange... our shadows...

We journey further into the inn, where Arche rests with Rhea by her bedside. Well, Rhea's body... but Norn's spirit.

"Where's Chester?" Arche asks her friend.

"He's taking a walk around town."

"With Lynn?"

"No."

"Good... I hate Lynn," the sick girl mutters as she stares at the wall.

"Why? She's a nice girl..."

"You don't understand... Chester would rather it if I'm not around. He just wants to be with _her_... You don't know what it's like to be rejected, Rhea!"

Arche... does she... Why do I feel so nervous...?

"Do you love him?"

"What does it matter? He's happy with Lynn... I'm not wanted."

"The sorrow in her heart is great," Suzu's shadow speaks up. "Rejection is painful, so it'd be better not to get attached to anyone." Is that true...?

"Arche..." Rhea mutters, and they fade out. Suzu and I leave the inn unnoticed. We're back out in the snow now... Cless and Klarth are out here.

"Klarth-san... how can I face Chester? It's because of me that he lost his memory..."

"He's your best friend, isn't he? You can't do anything about the past, but you can keep helping him in the future. I've... hurt him greatly as well... and all the others."

"What can we do if we only hurt our friends...?"

"What's the point of living if you only hurt those around you?" my shadow speaks up. "They understand that they've hurt their friends, but they can't figure out what to do about it. How can anyone atone for such a sin?" They fade in to the dark snow. What Klarth was saying...? He regrets... hurting me? Then what is he up to...?

I glance around the dark city and notice Auoun heading into the bar. I tug Suzu's sleeve and we follow him. He sits down and orders a beer.

"I've been left behind again..." mutters the young man. "It's always the same—I come with friends—the person who's supposed to be my best friend, in fact—but then they leave me behind... am I really that insignificant to them? Don't they notice me...?"

"What's the point of friends if they don't even care about you?" Suzu's shadow questions. "Is there really such a thing as a true friend, one who will never leave you out? Or do they all only need you while you're convenient?" A true friend...

Auoun fades out and I notice Lynn sitting at another table. Lynn...

"I don't want to be alone any longer... I know I have Auoun, Curt, and Kal, but... it'll never be the same as it once was. We lost that long ago... Sometimes I must wonder—what's worse, to die or to be alone? I think being alone... I've always been alone—no one could ever fully understand me... But I won't be alone anymore... right, Chester...?"

"Loneliness is hard, especially when you look at a past of happiness," my shadow comments. "Maybe it'd be better not to remember, to separate from people before it's too late." To not remember... but I _want_ to remember my past...

Lynn fades out and we walk back out into the snow, where I see Fenrir and Norn standing in an alleyway. Suzu and I walk over to them, our shadows trailing behind us like people.

"Just what are you up to?" Fenrir demands. "What are you doing to them?! If you hurt Chester..."

"What about you? Just what are _you_ scheming? I didn't think you'd bother taking interest in a human boy like Chester," Norn combats. Wha?!

"Me?! You're blaming me for scheming?! _You're_ the selfish one who's trying to use him and Suzu for your own purposes!"

"No... I'm simply bringing out their strengths."

Fenrir throws her head back and laughs—an eerie laugh coming from a wolf. "You have, have you? Sorry, but I've already been handling that. I've been helping them get back their powers! Don't you dare do anything to Chester...!"

"They both show concern," Suzu's shadow comments, "but what is it they really want? Are they just using others for their own purposes?"

"Drown it out," whispers the real Suzu. "This is the evil in our hearts... This is the doubts and fears that we've been feeling, our mistrusting sides. Drown it out!"

The evil in our hearts? That's what we have to face...? But why? Why us...?

I know why. _"Look inside your heart for the answers. Don't you still trust your friends...?"_ That's a good question... who do I trust...? I close my eyes and try to look inside for the answer.

I trust Lynn and Suzu and Arche... Mint and Cless... Ami... and...

I trust Klarth. I... I've been doubting all of my friends this whole time, marking everything they do as 'evil'... but was that really my own evil labeling them? The shadows are saying something, but I can't hear them... I won't listen anymore! My friends... _"You must be wary of Fenrir, or she'll tear you away from your friends... Treasure your friends—you still have them..."_

"Suzu!" My bow forms from light in my hands, an arrow already notched. "We can still save our friends, right? Are you with me?!" I aim the arrow at my dark side.

"...Yeah!" Suzu's dagger appears in her right hand, and she prepares to fight. Our shadows mimic us, aiming their own weapons at us. I won't lose...

"Giga!"

"Hell Rush!"

We each attack our shadows, who fight back. A black arrow hits my shoulder and I stumble back, but I pull out another arrow and keep going. I _can't_ lose!

"Gale Shot!"

"Flare Blitz!"

A few arrows lodge into my legs and I fall to my knees. Another arrow forms in my bow as I draw the string back. I can't scum to the evil inside myself any longer!

"Piercing Line!" I release and the arrow shots clean through my shadow; it disintegrates.

"Omega Storm!" Suzu cuts widely, destroying her own shadow. We both stand there, breathing hard, and wounded from our fight. Is it over...?

"Good job," a voice congratulates from behind us; I turn around to find Norn standing there. "Good and evil are two parts of the same, and you cannot live without both," she speaks up. In front of her, I see our shadows forming again. No...! "You must accept the evil in your hearts and learn to deal with it—if you don't, you will forever scum to it. Tell me, do you now know who you can trust?"

"...Yeah! I trust my friends... I'm going to find out the true reason Klarth turned against us!"

"...Same," agrees the ninja. "Maybe... maybe learning to trust people, and deal with people instead of shoving them away... maybe that's what it takes to become an adult..."

"We can't keep going like this... How are we to tell who's immoral? What do we know? I can't justify everything by blaming others... I have to rise above that."

Norn smiles. "I see you really _do_ understand... I'll give you a present, then. Would you like to talk to Klarth?"

Eh?! "Yes!" we both shout out. Norn holds up a painting of the castle, and we seem to enter it...

We're definitely inside the castle now. Everything's dark and it's all made of stone... I glance around, looking for the teacher. All that we saw minutes ago was probably an illusion... but I'm about to be able to talk to the real Klarth now, right...?

Suzu grabs my arm and pulls back; I follow her behind a set of statues as the sound of footsteps hit my ears.

"You know, they really _could_ learn to sing..." Huh? That sounds like Klarth... what on Aselia is he talking about?!

"Look, let's just both agree that summon spirits can't sing, and don't you _dare_ try that again! I think I've already made my warning clear." The two people come into view: Klarth and Auoun. They're friends, aren't they? But they're not talking like friends...

"Aww, come on, you should see yourself as privileged!"

"Drop it _now_, Klarth!"

"Fine, fine... You're no fun, Odin..." Wait, Odin?! Klarth stops walking, but continues talking; "I still don't understand why you're still using me. Why not send all those knights you have? I've lost my worth against them, and you always complain about how 'annoying' you claim I am."

"You're right, we have to change this... maybe it's time they know the truth," Auoun—no, Odin?—says as he stops and turns to face Klarth.

"N... no!" the summoner exclaims, fear on his face. "Don't you dare...!"

"What? Aren't _you_ the one who's been trying to tell them the truth this whole time?"

"I want them to find out on _my_ terms, not yours!"

"It doesn't matter whose terms it's on; the results will be the same. Anyway, I'm going to see Thor... I suggest you don't try anything... stupid."

"What can I try? You have all of my summons." Klarth stands there as Odin starts to walk away. "Oh, and Odin? You still owe me my hat." Odin ignores him and leaves the hall. Klarth stares down at the floor. "You're wrong, Odin... It _does_ matter. If only I could talk to them..."

I take this moment to step out into the light, Suzu right behind me. Klarth stares at us as if we're ghosts. "C-Chester! Suzu!"

"H-hey..." I wave. This is awkward... I don't know what to say...

"Sensei... what's going on?"

"I was about to ask you that. What are you doing here? And what's with those clothes? And... you're not trying to attack me...?"

"W-we were just in a trial and..." Something seems different... he's not trying to fight us. In fact, he sounds more like his old self, before he turned traitor on us...

Klarth holds a hand up to stop me. "It's too dangerous to talk out here; follow me, quickly and quietly." He quickly starts walking away, and we follow him. He enters the second room on the right and allows us to enter; he closes and locks the door behind him, leaving us in complete darkness until he flips the light switch. This room looks to be a storage room... The summoner lets out a sigh before turning around, leaning on the door with a grin on his face. "You're lucky, Chester... You're traveling with a party full of beautiful young women..."

"You sound like a perverted old man," Suzu comments; that breaks my tension and I laugh.

"...I was _about_ to say 'instead of a complete idiot and a coward that I can't get rid of.'"

"You only travel with Curt, though..." I point out.

"No I don't. Odin—I mean, Auoun—is also around."

"Huh? I don't understand, but... Klarth, I trust you, so please tell us what's going on... Why are you attacking us if..." ...if you care about us...

"I see... so you trust me now. Thank you..." the man mumbles. He closes his eyes a minute, thinking. He opens them again; "Sit down." We do so. "What I'm going to tell you will probably be hard to believe... but it's the truth. I'm... not the one who's been attacking you. Odin is."

"But the summons...! And your hat...!"

"Yes, it's been my body... I've had to watch inside my own head as Odin fought you. The spirits couldn't talk, or they would've warned you when being summoned..."

"Sensei, why didn't you tell us sooner? Like after Treantwood..." Suzu questions.

"I honestly had no clue about what happened in Treantwood... Odin made sure I wouldn't remember it; I guess you could say that I was asleep at the time. He took the Diamond Ring so that Origin couldn't tell me, either..."

"So this whole time, you've been on our side...?" Now I feel kinda bad about shooting him...

"Yes, though I wish I could've told you... I tried to tell you in the Tower of the Zodiac, when I regained control for a minute. My summon spirits and I have also tried to distract Odin for you on multiple occasions," he explains with a twinkle in his eye.

"Is that what the singing was about...?"

"That was from a while ago, back in the cave at Lone Valley. We did some karaoke and gave Odin a headache."

I can't help but grin. "That bad?"

"All except Sylph were. Well, I couldn't hear Origin because he didn't want to sing, but... Anyway, while you're here, we should make a plan for what to do now. There's only one more summon..."

"Aska. Do you know where he is?" I ask the summoner.

"Aska travels... he likes flying around. Getting to him won't be easy... He's carrying your powers with him. Once I get him as a summon, he'll leave your powers wherever we are at the time... but you need to find him before then."

"Arche..." I mutter. "Arche could find him, but... she's sick..."

"We're not leaving until tomorrow anyway. Though we're setting out pretty early..." Klarth thinks. "Chester, Suzu, it'd be best if you searched for Aska tonight. Search where it's brightest... After that, I need you to do me a favor."

"What is it?"

"Free Milard and Ami from Fenrir's grasp."

What...? "But Fenrir's helping us! She's good!"

"No she isn't. She's tricking you, Chester... she's a goddess of trickery and deception. She put herself where she is now so she could control us using Milard and Ami. If you don't free them, I can't fight back..."

Fenrir's... tricked me...? Is he sure? What should I believe...?

...I trust Klarth. I believe him! "...All right..."

"We don't have much of a chance against a goddess," the ninja points out. "We'll need to get her away somehow..."

"Leave that to me," I say. "I don't know what she wants with my power yet... but I bet I'll be able to meet up with her. I can distract her while you and the others go to rescue Ami and Milard."

"It's too dangerous. If you're alone, Fenrir could easily kill you," argues the summoner. "Fenrir _wants_ to kill you... I don't know why, but you've caught her attention."

That's right...! "Klarth, do you know who the other people they want to kill are?!"

"Yeah. Arche and me."

"You?! But why you?!"

"Well, it's..."

"Chester..." Suzu speaks up. "You're starting to disappear!"

I stare at the ninja, whose arms are see-through now. "You are, too!"

"You must not have much time left here. Let me finish, then. Once you get Aska, head to the city of Thor—it's north of Venezia. Use the space-time machine there to travel to Derris-Kharlan, at the Giant Kharlan Tree in the present time. That's where Martel is... we'll have the final showdown there! I'll be waiting to know if Milard's safe."

"All right. Just wait a little longer, Klarth..." I say.

"One more thing! If we have to fight again... don't hesitate to attack me."

"W-we can't do that! We can't just attack you after this..."

"That's exactly what Odin thinks... but you _have_ to. I don't want to hurt any of you any more... so don't let me summon anything, all right?"

"Sensei... I understand."

"Well I don't! You don't want to hurt us, but you're asking us to hurt you?!"

"It's time we turned the tide around on them, right?" Klarth points out with a mischievous grin. "I'd love to see Odin's face when you attack me after knowing the truth... See you later, Chester, Suzu!" As he says that, the castle and Klarth both disappear. I notice him wave at us right before he vanishes. Klarth, you idiot...! You can't just ask us to attack you after that... that's not fair!

Now we're back in Arlee... "How was it?" Norn asks. "I have one more thing to show you..." She holds up a painting of a sword, and we're back in the castle. This is that room...! The one Cless attacked me in... And I see myself here, being held by knights, and Cless... this is the dream that Fenrir showed me, isn't it...?

My past self yelps in pain as electricity shoots down his body.

"No, Chester!" Cless yells. I've heard that before... "Stop! Demon Fang!" He draws his sword along the ground and creates a blast that hits one of the knights holding me.

"C-Cless... don't be an idiot..."

"This is supposed to be a knight trial...? To kill someone important to us...?! I won't let you get away with such a disgusting thing any longer!" the angry swordsman yells.

"You don't have a choice," says Curt. "Auoun!"

I didn't notice Lynn's other brother in the shadows before... He begins concentrating as mana flows around him. What's going on?! This wasn't in what Fenrir showed me...! And—ah! There's Fenrir—she's standing next to Auoun! Or... Odin...

Odin seems to fall asleep as Cless grabs his head. "W-what's... going... on...?!"

"You see, Cless Alvein, you're important to us, so we can't let you just do whatever you want," explains Curt. "Luckily for us, Auoun is capable of controlling anyone's body."

What?! Now I get it... now I understand! Cless didn't really attack me... Neither him nor Klarth ever did, but they both blame themselves... That's why Cless never denied it when I yelled at him and chastised him for attacking me... Cless... He's probably the best person in the world, and yet...

The scene now looks exactly like Fenrir showed me, with Cless attacking and me running around. She left out that part... she left out that part at the beginning on purpose... She didn't want me to know the truth; instead, she led me to believe that Cless was evil and to blame him more... Now that I see it, the truth is painful, like a knife cutting through my chest. Why was I so blind before...? I'm the one... who's been hurting my friends... not Cless and Klarth...

Cless' sword charges through my stomach in the memory, while the real Suzu and I stand off to the side, watching. Cless blinks—he seems to be regaining consciousness. "C-Chester... CHESTER!" He pulls his sword out and throws it on the floor as my past self falls. Cless kneels down beside me. "No, Chester! I..."

"Heh, good morning, Cless... I'm glad you're back..."

"You need a healer, fast!" He turns to the knights. "H-help! Someone needs to get a healer! He'll die!"

"That's the point, remember?" Curt says coldly.

"No... No! He won't... He can't..."

"Hey Cless..."

"Chester, I'm sorry... this is my fault..."

"Don't be stupid... You always blame yourself... But Cless, do me a favor... protect Ami for me..."

"Wait, Chester! That's your job... you're her brother!"

The scene fades out and we're back in Arlee; Norn's no where to be seen. So that's what really happened...

"I had no idea..." Suzu mutters.

"I only saw part of it before, so I didn't realize Cless was possessed..." I sigh.

"We can't dwell on it right now. Let's hurry; we have a job to do," the sparrow says. She sounds as serious as always, but...

"Yeah! We'll save both Aselia and Derris-Kharlan, one step at a time! Let's change back into our normal clothes." We hurry to the clothing shop, where Mel and Dio are waiting.

"Welcome back. How was your trip?"

"Did you see a lot of things?"

We walk straight past them without a word and into our changing rooms. I change back into my archer outfit. I don't know why, but I feel a lot better now... I can see those dark thoughts as they rise up and push them down with good thoughts and feelings. Klarth... we finally know the truth about you... I'll free you from Odin's grasp! I put his hat on my head. I never realized how wide this brim is! So this is what Klarth sees...

I meet Suzu back out in the main area of the clothing store.

"I take it you won?" Mel inquires.

"Against our dark selves, you mean? Yeah..."

"Heh heh, we had to go through that trial, too, once!"

"Yes. Good and evil... love and hate... It's a fine line, but now I try to see everything in a good light, and I try to value everything in this world..."

"We made this clothing shop to help others who may be having difficulties like that," Dio explains. "The clothes you wore gave you a harder trial than we'd give normal people... but you needed it."

"Feel free to keep the clothes."

I grin. "Thanks... Mel, Dio. I'll be sure to come back!"

"Yes, thank you..."

"Never forget your faith in your friends," orders the boy. "Take care!"

"Bye!"

We wave back at them as we exit, the clothes they gave us in hand.

**Chester gained the title of Narikiri Boy. It is a**** costume title given to the one who ****underwent**** Dio's ****trial.**

**Suzu gained the title of Narikiri Girl. It is a costume title given to the one who underwent Mel's trial.**

**Cless gained the title of Pure Heart. He is the best of men... he blames himself before others and looks at everything with a good outlook.**

**Klarth gained the title of Free Spirit. His body may not be free, but his mind is.**

**Klarth's Traitor title was thrown out.**

**Chester learned Piercing Line.**

**Arche learned Eruption.**

**Suzu learned Secret Thief.**

**Cless learned Chaos Blade.**

**Mint learned Silence.**

**Klarth can now summon Shadow.**


	27. Sniper of SpaceTime

**I'm in a really good mood! So I'm doing a double post! ...Don't expect that to happen often with this story.**

**Remember that traitor-guessing-game in chapters 18 and 19? ...Well, if not, it's okay, but it might help you understand the last title given at the end of this chapter.**

**--****Sniper**** of Space-Time--**

Arche's still resting in the inn, and everyone's standing around her. Cless is asleep in another bed... heh, looks like that really was all just a vision after all. I sit down in a chair by Arche's bed and Lynn walks over to stand next to me.

"How'd it go?" Mint asks us.

"Great. Listen, I we have a plan for Aska..." I tell them about Klarth's plan, and they all agree that it's the best thing to do.

"Chester..." Lynn takes my hand. "Are you sure you'll be okay alone? Fenrir's a goddess, after all... Maybe I should go with you..."

I smile up at her. Lynn's always so kind... "No, it's too dangerous; I don't want you to die again. Don't worry about me, though... as long as I don't let her know the plan, I can distract her with small talk. We'll meet up in Venezia after we're done."

"One person alone cannot steer the ship, so we might as well take that," Suzu points out, and I hand her the wing pack.

"Arche... will you be okay to set out tonight?" I ask.

"Yeah, I'll be perfectly fine! I'm already feeling better..." She lets out a small cough, but she _does_ sound better than earlier...

"We'll be counting on you to find Aska... so be careful."

"I'll make sure Arche's in top condition, then!" Mint says, determination spread across her delicate face.

"Thanks."

"Chester, can I talk to you...?" Lynn asks.

"Sure." I stand up and follow her outside, into the cold snow.

"...It's beautiful, isn't it?" Lynn stares up at the snow falling.

"Yeah... you're not too cold, are you?"

Lynn moves closer to me and lays her head on my shoulder. "No..." I wrap an arm around her slender body.

"Good."

"We almost have the last summon... after that, we can save Aselia."

"Yeah. Aselia and Derris-Kharlan! We'll talk to Martel when we get there and figure out what to do..."

"What about Fenrir? Do you really think you'll be all right challenging her alone?"

"I'm not going to challenge her, just distract her... If everything goes right, she'll never even know my true motives. Still... it's hard to believe that she was just tricking me this whole time..."

"Fenrir's a goddess of trickery, thievery, and seduction, remember?"

"Yeah... I won't fall for her tricks anymore, though. Lynn... just do what you can to save Milard and Ami."

"I will."

We stand there a little longer, watching the snow fall around us. I wonder what time it is... we're setting out at ten tonight, unless Arche's not feeling well... what time is it, though? And how will we find Aska...? He could be anywhere on Aselia... "Where do you think Aska is?" I ask Lynn.

"He's the spirit of light, isn't he? Then the best place would be to search the sun."

"Huh?! Are you crazy?! We can't reach the sun!"

Lynn giggles. "Sorry, maybe I should make myself clear... We should search in the line of the sun. Aska's most likely below it."

That's right, while it's night on one part of the world, it's day on another... we've bee going by Alvanista time, right? We haven't really noticed much of a difference because we've been working so hard...

"Hey slowpokes, c'mon!" Arche's voice pierces the quiet night. "We're going to get Aska!" I turn to see all of them walking out of the inn, Cless asleep on Noishe's back.

"Right now? It's not time yet, is it?"

"Nope, but I'm feeling fine! We need to hurry and help Klarth-sensei, right?"

"Yeah." I let go of Lynn. "Everyone ready?"

"Yeah!"

We head out of the city and back to the port. Suzu lets the ship out and we board it. We're following the rays of the sun this time... Lynn lifts the anchor and I take the wheel. The sun is to our left, way off in the distance... I turn towards it and we start sailing. We're almost there... All we have to do is reach Aska!

The sky gets brighter and brighter, and before long the sun's shining right in my eyes. I stare down at the waves, trying to evade the brightness. It doesn't help much, as the waves are bright... but Klarth's hat helps block some of it. We'll be through this area soon, and the sun will be higher up...

I turn to the right to go around the land. We're better off sailing for this one... Once around the tip of land, I straighten us back out to follow the sun again. None of us talk—we're all either working hard to keep the ship moving or searching for Aska. Arche's flying high above us, trying to get a different point of view...

The sun isn't straight ahead of us anymore, but it's climbing higher in the sky...

"I see him! I see him I see him!" Arche yells excitedly. She drops down so she's level with us. "Keep going straight! I'll take everyone up one at a time!" Arche's excited. Mint hops on the broom first, sitting behind Arche. They fly up into the air, straight towards the sun. I keep us going straight, fighting the waves. Arche and Mint return, and Suzu hops on next. I glance around. When are Klarth and Curt going to come? What time is it where they are? I don't have a watch or anything... All I know is that we've been sailing for a while in complete silence, but I don't mind the silence. It's kinda nice... and relaxing...

Lynn's standing here with me, and I think we laid Cless down below deck. Noishe is sleeping on the ship, and Mint... I don't know where Mint went... Wait, are those voices I hear?

"Lynn, take the wheel," I order as I pull out my bow and an arrow. She does as she's told and I hurry towards the back of the ship, where I hear the voices... I can't tell what they're saying, though... They're definitely back there. I get ready before lunging out of my hiding space, pointing my arrow at where the voices were coming from. "Don't move—"

They turn around, surprised. Cless... and Mint... they're... "Chester!"

I lower my bow and return my arrow to the quiver. "Good morning, Cless. I'm... glad you're back." I try my best to smile. I don't know what else to say... How do I apologize for all I've put him through?

"Chester! You remember!" Cless exclaims as he runs over to me, discarding the food in his hands. "Mint was just telling me about everything that's happened! I'm glad you're all right!"

"Yeah, you, too. It's no fun dragging you all over Aselia, y'know! Lose some of that armor!"

My best friend laughs. "Sorry, Chester! ...Is this the same place I woke up before...?"

"What are you talking about?"

"I woke up before and I was on a ship... I tried to get up to find you and—oh that's right! About Klarth-san..."

"He's on our side, I know. How'd you fall back asleep?"

"I'm not fully sure, but the only other people around were—"

"Cless!" Arche flings herself into the swordsman's arms, completely knocking him off guard.

"A-Arche! Suzu!"

"You're awake..." observes the little ninja. Behind Cless and Arche, I see the healer gripping her stick as hard as she can—is she fuming?!

"Arche-chan," Mint says, trying to hide the annoyance in her voice. "Cless-san just woke up... you should give him some room."

"Oh! Right! But Cless still needs to come get his power from Aska!" Arche points out as she lets go. "Shall we, Cless?" She hops on her broom and waits for Cless to sit down as well. With an apologetic glance to Mint, the horse-boy sits down on the broom behind Arche. They lift up and fly through the sky.

The princess looks upset... I know how I can make it up to Cless! I'll help him and Mint out... "Don't worry," I tell her. "When he was asleep, I heard him talk once... He said your name."

Mint turns completely red and spins around to hide her face. "E-eh? Really?"

"Besides, all of us have to go up alone with Arche. I feel sorry for Cless now... I'm have to face the torture next!"

"Arche-chan isn't that bad..." Mint assures me.

"So what'd you get to wake Cless up?"

"Dispel. I got it from Aska..."

"What'd you get, Suzu?"

"A frog."

Mint and I stare at her in silence. A... frog...? "...What?"

"Jiraiya, the protector spirit of the ninjas."

"He's... a frog?"

"Yes."

"Uh... huh..." Does she realize how sad that sounds?

Arche and Cless return, and the swordsman steps off of the broom. Now it's my turn...

"Hurry up," the weasel says. "I don't want to be stuck alone with you any longer than I have to."

I scowl and throw my leg over the back of the broom. Before I'm situated, Arche lifts up at a surprising speed and I grab her shoulders so as not to fall. "Not so fast!"

"Weren't you ready?"

"No!"

"Oh well. Look!"

Ahead of us I see Aska flying... He looks like a giant eagle made of light... We soar over to him, my heart being quickly. This is it... I'm the last one besides Klarth...

And Arche... she's so close... I could pull her back and—

Wait, I shouldn't be thinking like that. I have Lynn! Besides, I hate Arche... she's so annoying!

Blinding light shoots away from Aska and straight at me—the final memory! And my final piece of power... this one's stronger than any of the others... Dragon Slayer...

"Could it really be true?" Cless asks. We're standing in the forest near Miguel, in front of the large tree... only, now it's not withered like I saw it in this time; it's full and beautiful, full of life. "Is Dhaos really fighting to save his own world? If so, then maybe we're the ones—"

"Don't jump to conclusions," interrupts the summoner. "Besides, he's the one who's slaughtered countless people. And we've made it this far by believing in what we were doing. Or am I wrong?" None of us answer. So Dhaos was trying to save his home world after all... He was trying to save Derris-Kharlan... "Anyways. Humans can survive without magitech. But I must admit, it would be too bad if magic disappeared."

"What are you talking about! Knowing you, Klarth... I'm sure you'll figure out how to use it one day." Arche grins as she floats around the older man.

"Heh heh. Perhaps..."

"Okay, here goes. Step back, please. I'm going to place a barrier around Yggdrasil to prevent mana overflow. This should allow the tree to produce a Mana Seed." I see... so after learning Dhaos' true purpose, we sent the Mana Seed to Derris-Kharlan to protect his people... Martel must've gone, too... We back up.

"I guess it's the least we could do... after his lonely struggle for what he believed was right." Klarth... _"When you look at a situation, whether in history or today, you can't limit yourself with only the popular point of view. You have to think outside of the box and come up with reasons. If you just believe what people tell you, you'll be narrow-minded and only see what people _want_ you to see. As Edward D. Morrison said, 'If there is evil in this world, it lurks in the hearts of man.' ...What sort of things would make you fight all humankind?"_ It was what he believed was right... when I look at it that way, who was good and who was evil? Maybe... we were all good, we were just fighting for what we believed in... "Okay, do it, Mint!"

"Here goes!" Mint concentrates and a barrier forms around the tree.

"Well, that's that. Let's go." As Klarth speaks, we all turn to look at Suzu.

A tear falls down Mint's face. "Suzu..."

"I'll never see you again, will I? But I'm not going to cry... A true ninja steels her heart against such emotions."

"Suzu... I'll never forget you," says the witch.

"I won't forget you, either... Well, goodbye, then..."

We're all silent for a moment. I break it; "It's been a blast."

"It sure has."

"Take care," Klarth tells the young girl.

"You, too."

"Thank you... Thank you for all your help," says Cless.

"The pleasure was mine."

"...Suzu..."

"Yes?"

"It's okay to cry, you know. I mean, I think even a ninja should be allowed to cry at times like this."

"...Thanks for saying that. But I won't cry."

"Suzu..."

"I'm going to part ways with a smile on my face!" Suzu says, and for the first time ever, I see her smile... She looks like a cute little kid when she smiles. She should do that more often...

"Yeah, good idea! Take care, Suzu!"

Suzu turns away for a minute. I notice a hand go up to her face... She turns back to face us. "You too! Farewell, everyone! Farewell!" Suzu disappears with a Shadow Storm, leaving the rest of us standing in the clearing.

"What a great girl," I mutter.

"Saying goodbye is never easy, isn't it?" Mint agrees.

"I wish we could stay together forever," murmurs Arche.

"Well, we should be getting back."

"...I suppose so..." Cless raises the Eternal Sword above his head. "O great and powerful Sword of Time! Take us back to my time!"

A blue light surrounds us, and we travel through a dimension that's bound by neither time nor space... When it leaves, we're in what looks to be a destroyed Miguel.

"I'll leave the Sword of Time to you," Cless says as he hands the sword to Klarth.

"Okay. I'll seal it away." That's why Klarth was the only one who could get it out... he's the one that sealed it, with Origin's power.

"Well, take care..."

Mint begins crying again, and her best friend walks over to comfort her. "Guys... this isn't really goodbye. I mean, it's not like we'll never meet again. Still... It's a lonely feeling knowing we won't meet for another hundred years..." That's right, we came from different time periods in that life... Arche... she had to wait one hundred years...

"Arche..."

"I won't ever see you guys again."

"Klarth..."

"That's just how it is," the summoner says. "But I'm glad I had the chance to get to know you all. Chester... Mint... You guys take care." Turning to Arche, he continues, "Well, let's go."

"You ready, Chester?" my best friend asks.

"Yeah..."

Arche walks over to me and the two of us stand in complete silence for a moment. Arche looks... "Hey, don't look so sad."

"You're right..."

"Until we meet again..." I try my best to smile in the memory, but it doesn't work very well.

"Bye..." She returns to Klarth, who holds up the Eternal Sword.

"O mighty Sword of Time! Take me back to my own time!"

The memory vanishes and I'm back in the air, Arche right in front of me. One hundred years... She's a half elf, so she can live for longer than humans... what'll she do when the rest of us are gone...? It must be hard for her...

"Are you done yet?" she asks curtly.

"Yeah. Let's head back!"

"All right! Here we goooo!" We start falling straight down and I clamp on to the girl's shoulder.

"Ahhh! Arche! What are you doing?!"

We slow down to a stop just above the ship, and I practically fall off the broom. "Chester! Are you okay?!" Lynn helps me stand.

"Yeah, thanks..." The others are standing here as well.

"We have all of our powers now, right?" Cless questions.

"Yeah. Now we need to save Ami and Milard!"

"Which means you need to contact Fenrir."

Right... how do I do that again? I turn away from them and clutch the pendant under my clothes. Fenrir... can you hear me? I did it... I got all of my powers.

The pendant warms up. _"Very good.__ You did well, Chester... Now only one more thing needs to be done before we set out for Martel."_

What's that?

_"Meet me in my temple... And come alone."_

How do I get there?

_"I'll send a Fen Beast to pick you up—don't worry, they won't hurt you. They're following my orders. And Chester, one more thing..."_

Yeah?

_"Don't tell anyone where you're going... I'd hate to have to do something to Ami."_

She knows...! She knows about our plan and... oh my... but how?!

I hear her laughing as the pendant's warmth fades. She knows... she knows... and she has Ami... I turn to the others.

"Fenrir knows! She knows about our plan—you can't go—"

Something grabs my arm and my friends gasp as they pull out their weapons. I turn around to see a large wolf-like creature standing on two legs like a human... It has long claws and sharp, pointy teeth. Is this the Fen Beast?!

"No—Cless!" I reach out to my best friend, but a blue light surrounds me and the ship disappears. Where am I... a cavern of ice...?

Someone yelps and I look over—Lynn! She grabbed the beast's arm...! "Lynn!" I run over to her as the Fen Beast let's go of me and pull her in to a hug. "Lynn, you idiot! You shouldn't have come..." In the corner of my eye, I notice the beast disappear.

"Chester..." she murmurs as she clutches my shirt. "I was worried about you..."

"You have to hide! Fenrir will be here any minute—"

Lynn puts a finger on my lips. "It's okay... I used to live here, when I was a little girl..." She smiles so sweetly... I'm alone with her right now, and Fenrir could be coming any minute... but I don't want to let go... not when she's so close...

Lynn wraps her arms around my head and pulls me closer, until our lips meet. Lynn... I...

I feel cold... I pull her a little closer, trying to warm up, but somehow, I feel even colder... "Thank you, Chester..." Lynn whispers to me. Wait, she sounds like... "Thank you for causing so much strife for me..."

...Fenrir...!

**Arche gained the title of Spell Master of Space-Time. It is a title given only to the Hero of Space-Time who gained all of her spells back.**

**Mint gained the title of Archbishop of Space-Time. It is a title given only to the Hero of Space-Time who gained all of her healing powers back.**

**Suzu gained the title of Ninja Master of Space-Time. It is a title given only to the Hero of Space-Time who gained all of her ninja skills back.**

**Cless gained the title of Sword Master of Space-Time. It is a title given only to the Hero of Space-Time who gained all of his sword techniques back.**

**Chester gained the title of Sniper of Space-Time. It is a title given only to the Hero of Space-Time who gained all of his archery skills back.**

**Starry-chan's Educated Guesser title has changed to Educated Detective. Even early on, she can sniff out a ****traitor!**

**Arche learned Ray.**

**Mint learned Dispel.**

**Suzu learned Summon: Jiraiya.**

**Cless learned Light Spear.**

**Chester learned Dragon Slayer.**


	28. Gullible

**Sorry, but this chapter and the next one are kinda short... Hopefully you'll understand why they had to be split into two chapters after the end of the next one.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of Phantasia or Tales of Symphonia. They are owned by Namco.**

**--Gullible--**

"You're so gullible, Chester," Lynn says softly, a small smile on her lips. "It's kinda cute!" Lynn... no... she can't be... I... won't believe it...

Lynn can't be against us...

Her lips meet mine again, and I grow colder with this kiss. As she draws away, I try to step back, but I can't—my feet! They're frozen solid! "Lynn...!"

"My name's Fenrir," the woman corrects me before kissing me again. My power's draining with every kiss... and I'm getting colder and colder... I'm turning into a statue of ice... and I can't move... "You've done _such_ a good job of splitting the group up... None of them are going to live through this, you know. The rest of the group is headed straight into a trap, and Klarth's probably getting Aska right now... He's going to die in a similar way as you, from energy loss... Only, his death will be more productive for our cause. He'll bring out all of his summons at once... his frail human body won't be able to handle that, though!"

No, Klarth... I fell right in to her trap... but how could I see it? Lynn was always so supporting... and... _"Fenrir's the goddess of trickery, thievery, and seduction..."_ I fell for it. Even now, part of me doesn't want to accept it, doesn't want to move away from her...

But I can't die! I can't die here... I have to save everyone...

Lynn—no, Fenrir—kisses me again and I grow colder. I feel weak... and lightheaded... More of my body freezes solid. It's so cold, yet... the only way I can describe the pain is that it burns... "L-Lynn, don't do this..." I mutter, but I can barely even move my mouth now.

"I told you, I'm Fenrir. Besides, I've been planning this from the beginning... You can't do anything to bring Martel back for us, so I'll just take your power! Some of it was originally mine, you know."

"S-so... Everything... w-was a lie?" I'm freezing—it's so cold that it hurts! I've never been this cold before... and my body feels so heavy... I can't feel any warmth anymore; everything's starting to become numb... yet somehow, it still stings...

"Not everything." She smiles, though instead of the kind smile I always saw before, I now see a more mysterious, deceitful smile. "I really _do_ love you... That wasn't part of my plan. But once I save Aselia, I'll take your spirit back with me... to the land of the gods... It'll be just you and me." She draws more power and everything becomes hazy. This is what the tree meant... that I'd die here, to Fenrir... no one knows where we are and I can't do anything... I can't last much longer...

"Chester... You won't suffer much longer. Come, join me now..." She leans in—all except my face is frozen now; even Klarth's hat seems to be frozen... I can't breathe—even my insides must be icy. It hurts... it hurts even more than the lightning and swords, more than anything I've ever faced...

And with this kiss, it'll all be over...

I see a sparkle of light behind Fenrir. What's that...?

"Eruption!"

Fenrir yelps as she flies through the air, and I stand there, trying so hard to breath. I can't... I can't get any air...

"Chester!" My friends... they came... but how'd they know...?

"Dispel!"

I take in a deep breath of air and pant. I can breathe again...! The ice covering me is starting to melt.

Suzu and Cless charge past me, their weapons drawn. "I'll make you pay for doing that to Chester!"

Arche and Mint rush over to me, and the princess begins concentrating on a spell.

I can't move to say anything to them; I still feel lightheaded...

"You idiot!" Arche yells. "You could've died—I _told_ you she was dangerous!"

"Dispel!" The ice melts a little more and I start to get feeling back in my skin—I'm so cold...

"S-shut up! J-j-just... get m-me outta h-here..." I can finally talk, but I can't help but stutter as I shiver. Cless and Suzu return to us. The pack is on Cless' back now...

"She got away! Chester, are you okay?"

"I-I'm... c-c-cold..." I cough, but I still can't move my body.

"This isn't working very well!" Mint explains.

"T-the p-p-pendant..." That's where the strongest chill is coming from...

"Pendant?" Suzu and Arche exchange confused glances before realizing what I'm talking about. "Oh right!"

"Excuse me..." Suzu charges forward, and—ow! She somehow ripped the pendant away—that _hurt_! Now the ice is melting, leaving me wet and shivering. Suzu's behind me, holding the pendant. Wow... even if she had to get it forcefully, she's still pretty skilled! She throws the thing up in the air and then slashes clean through it with her dagger.

Free of the ice, I try to walk forward, but I only fall to the ground.

"Chester!" Cless helps me back up, putting my arm around his shoulder.

"I-I'm f-fine..." I lie; I can barely stand, and I'm so cold that I can't move without a lot of effort...

"Mint..."

"He's lost a lot of energy—I can't do anything about that. He'll have to get it back with time..."

"We don't have time! We have to get to Derris-Kharlan," Suzu argues. "Chester, Klarth and Curt showed up as we were leaving... they're headed to Derris-Kharlan now. Undine was finally able to talk—she told us where to find you." Undine... so Klarth was able to help us... but now he may die...

Cless sighs. "You know, Chester... you have a knack for getting yourself in dangerous relationships."

"S-s-shut up..."

I try to walk with Cless's help, but it feels more like he's dragging me... he slows down. We're not going very fast at all...

"Will we make it to Klarth at this speed...?" Mint asks, worry in her voice.

"No..." We stop and my friend pulls me around so we're facing Arche. "Unless he rides on Arche's broom..."

"W-what?! Why me?!"

"Arche, please..."

"I-I'm fine..." Another cough betrays my claim.

"No you're not! Arche..."

"All right, all right! Put him on!"

Cless leads me over to the witch and I throw my leg over the broom, sitting behind her. I feel dizzy...

"Let's go!" W-whoa! We're suddenly moving really fast... I grab on to Arche's shoulders so as not to fall off. "Ow, Chester! That hurts!"

Eh? I didn't think I was squeezing that hard... I let go and clutch the broom instead. It's still really cold... I'm not frozen, right...? No, I can move my feet... That's a good sign...

It's brighter now... I'm out of there... It's still so hard to believe, that Lynn was really Fenrir this whole time... and I was meant to be her snack. Now I know why Fenrir chose me... I was an easy target to her. I was stubborn and could easily be swayed to blame my friends... I was gullible and never noticed her tricks...

She played with me the same way Arche played with that knight in Alvanista... and I fell for it. Lynn... why...?

A wind blows by and I get colder. I still feel weak... I hate feeling weak. And I'm freezing... The sound of waves... are we by the ocean...?

"Chester, you can get off now," Arche says. I stumble off of the broom and sit against the rail of the ship.

"We... n-need to get to Thor..."

"I know. You just rest here, Chester..." orders my best friend. All of them are standing around me... all except Noishe... where is he...? "Mint, will you make us something to eat? Here, take the pack."

"Yes!"

"I'll be the navigator," the ninja offers.

"I'll handle the anchor and the sails!"

"I guess I'm steering, then." They all start walking away, and I reach out and grab Cless' cape. He stumbles backwards as I let go. "Something wrong, Chester?"

"What happened to Noishe...?"

"We were near the continent with Ymir Forest when you left, so we dropped Noishe off there—he wanted to leave, probably to return to his master."

So he went back to Lloyd and Kratos... good... I nod and Cless heads up to the front of the ship.

Everyone's doing work except me... I'm not going to be a dead weight! I need to help somehow... I grab the rail and use it to force my body to stand. I still feel faint... but I can't give up. I have to help... we have to save Klarth...

I let go of the rail and slowly being trudging towards the front of the ship. The waves crash against it, making the wooden thing sway; I throw my feet farther apart to keep my balance. I can do this... I keep walking. I reach the stairs and slowly ascend them, almost falling on the way up. Cless is standing there at the wheel...

"Cless," I call out, though my voice is a lot softer than I expected; he doesn't hear me. I take a deep breath and try again, this time giving it more force. "Cless!"

The swordsman spins around, surprised. "Chester...?"

"What can I do to help?"

"Don't worry about it! We have everything handled... you shouldn't push yourself."

"I'm going to do something, too!"

"Chester... just get your strength back. That's the best thing you can do... we'll need all the help we can get when we reach Klarth."

He's right... but... Damn it, Cless! I hate being useless!

I need to get my strength back... I need to _do_ something! I'll see if Mint has anything for me to do...

I slowly walk towards the door that leads below deck. Before I get there, Arche pokes her head in front of mine, upside down. "Aren't you supposed to be resting?"

"Shut up! I'm going to help!" She's the _last_ person I wanted to talk to... I take a step around her just as the boat lurches to the side, and I fall to the floor. Ow...

"You won't get very far like that," the girl points out. I glare at her before standing back up. "You really shouldn't push yourself so hard, you know. We can handle the rest!"

"I'm not going to be a burden!" I yell back. "Stop treating me like I can't do anything!"

"I... You jerk! I was worried about you! You could _die_! Do you realize that?!"

"I'm not going to die! None of us are! We're going to get through this!" Arche's supposed to die, too, isn't she...? "Look, they failed to kill me. I'm more worried about you... they'll be after you next."

"Just because they failed doesn't change the fact that you're weak now! If they attack you, you won't be able to defend yourself!"

"I'm not weak!" I bellow. "I can defend myself just fine, all right?! Now leave me alone!"

"Fine, see if I care!" she shrieks angrily. "Don't blame me if you end up dead!" Arche zooms to the front of the ship and I walk below deck. That stupid girl...! Why is it that she always gets on my nerves?!

Below deck, I soon find the kitchen—it's the first door on the right. I'm kinda surprised Klarth's hat fits through these doors... Mint's cooking inside, and it smells pretty good. "Hey, Mint."

"Oh, Chester! How are you feeling?"

"Fine," I lie. "Need any help with anything?"

"You should rest..."

"I'm not going to rest! I'm going to help out..."

Mint stares at me and then nods. "If you want to help that much, can you get drinks for everyone? We only have water, but... if you could pour it in cups and then help me carry everything out..."

I nod. The water jug's on the counter... I search Klarth's pack to find a bunch of plastic cups; I pull out five. After setting them on the counter, I pour an equal amount of water into all of them... I'm glad Mint let me do something, even if it's something small. Mint seems to be finished cooking—she made steak. Together, we separate it out onto five plates. There must be an easier way to carry this... ah! There are some trays here... I pull out two and put three plates and two cups on one. Mint puts the rest on the other, and we start walking. Mint pushes the door open with her back—good thing, too, since I don't know how I'd do that safely with Klarth's hat.

"Thank you for helping, Chester-san!" Mint says as we walk out onto the deck.

"No problem." I stare up at the cockpit, where Suzu is. "Hey, Suzu! Food's ready!"

The ninja jumps and soars down through the air, much like a sparrow... I guess that name really _does_ fit... She lands gracefully on the ground and follows us up to the front of the ship without a word. Arche and Cless are at the front, so all of us except my best friend sit on the ground and begin eating. He pulls the ship in next to land. "Arche, can you help me with the anchor real quick?"

"Leave it to me!" She jumps up and stands on her broom as mana flows around her. "Tractor Beam!" The anchor lifts up off the ground in the ray of magic and then moves out over the ocean. It drops violently, jerking the boat.

"Arche, be careful with things like that!" I yell.

Cless sits down and Mint happily hands him a plate. As he takes it, they both stall as they catch each other's eyes. After a few seconds, they quickly move away, embarrassed. They really _do_ love each other... not like me and Lynn...

We eat quickly and in complete silence. Once I finish, I turn to Cless. "This is Thor?"

"Yeah. I remember it from our previous lives..." He stares at the city as he stands up; the rest of us stand up as well.

"We'll clean up when we return. Let's just save Klarth right now," the dove says and we all agree. We walk off of the ship and Suzu stores it in the wing pack.

"Here," she says as she hands the capsule to me. "You should take it... I already have the Sorcerer's Ring."

I accept the thing and pocket it. Now we head into the city...

There are birds and scientists around, but only minimal of both. The city was built upwards, with many paths progressively leading up to buildings. We walk straight through the dark, desolate city... it feels like a ghost town... We walk past a set of stairs on our right with another high platform on our left. We take a left at the end of the platform and walk down a set of stairs. I see... it wasn't a platform, but a building... We enter the building.

The inside is even darker. Everything is made of cold, grey stone with only torches to light the way. At the end of the path, we take a left, which ends up being a U-turn. We follow that into a larger room.

"If I remember correctly," the steed speaks up, "the doors are completely random. We'll have to find a key first on the opposite side of the room..."

We head south, where we see an enemy. It looks to be a white blob that goes up with blue ropes coming out of it... I don't know any other way to describe this odd thing!

Cless and Suzu charge at it while I release an arrow. Above me, Arche begins charging up a spell.

"Flare Blitz!" Suzu yells as she throws fiery shurikens at the monster. Cless stabs it and then swings his sword out; the thing dies.

"I did it!" Cless cheers as he raises his sword up. We dash to the other side of the room, where there's a treasure chest. I open it up.

Nothing. I turn right and walk to the next one. Ah, a key! Good... We turn around and hurry up to the doors.

"Are you sure it's random?" I ask as I put the key in the keyhole in the door we entered.

"Not positive, but..."

"What the?! The key doesn't fit..."

"I guess that settles it," mutters the witch. "We'll just have to hope we get the right door!"

We move on to the next door. It doesn't fit in that one, either... Ah! It works on the next one! Now where does this lead... We enter the door.

In front of us is a long, dark path that leads to a computer... This is it! I remember this from my memory... We march down the path and to the computer, which we stand in front of. The computer activates and says in a mechanical voice, "Main system activated... Bio-ROM check." Screens flash one in front of us and a face of light appears. "Welcome to the Mother Computer Room. I am Cust. I provide all functions throughout Thor City." Cust... that's almost like Curt... Wait, Auoun is Odin, Lynn is Fenrir... that must mean that Curt's Thor! They _are_ siblings, after all...! "Select objective." A screen pops up in front of us with two options: time warp and medical treatment.

"Let's make sure we're in top condition first," suggests the healer. "Medical treatment, please."

"Voice command accepted. Metabolic acceleration beam activated." Light feels the room and I feel somewhat refreshed... I still feel weak, though. Figures... I guess this will only heal with time...

The two options pop up again and Cless says, "Time warp this time."

"Voice recognition activated. Time warp device driver activated. Anti-gravity energy check... Energy verified. Indicated the number of years relative to the present."

"Present time, Derris-Kharlan!" I order. "At the Giant Kharlan Tree!"

"Voice command accepted. Time travel destination space coordinate safety conditions met. Beginning main process. Travelers, proceed to the designated position."

The large head disappears and I see a platform where it was. We stand on it.

"Travelers confirmed. Antimatter energy released... Wormhole generated. Baby universe confirmed. Time warp operation systems all green. Time warp commencing." A blue light surrounds us...

**Chester gained the title of Gullible. It is a title given to one who easily falls for tricks.**

**Chester gained the title of Determined Man. Even while wounded, I can still help!**


	29. Savior

**--Savior--**

"Travelers confirmed. Antimatter energy released... Wormhole generated. Baby universe confirmed. Time warp operation systems all green. Time warp commencing." A blue light surrounds us and we teleport through space; when the light disappears, we're... This tree! It's the one Suzu and I saw in that dream! The one that was talking to us...! That must've been Martel talking if this is the Giant Kharlan Tree...! And there's Klarth—the green light of his magic is shining under him. There are already four summon spirits around him! Next to him are Thor and Fenrir—Fenrir in her wolf form—overseeing the project, and Odin is laying, asleep, against a small tree. They turn to us as we enter, dumbfounded.

I pull out an arrow—it's the black one... Lynn's arrow... Lynn the wolf... or maybe I should say _Fenrir_ the wolf! She tricked me... but she also helped me without meaning to. I have courage, thanks to her... the courage to fight those I once respected... for the benefit of both planets! I aim the arrow at her and shoot. It hits her and then disappears, a trickle of blood falling down her fur. She turns to me and begins growling as I pull out another arrow.

"Beast!" Cless yells as he swings his sword at Thor; as it hits, energy in the form of a lion head continues on, hurting him. Suzu charges at Fenrir and begins fighting her. Mint runs through to get to Klarth as I fire off another arrow.

"Come, Maxwell..." A fifth summon appears in the semicircle around Klarth. No!

"Eyaaah!" Thor sends both Cless and Mint flying through the air.

"Ray!" Arche calls and a ball of light appears above the battlefield; it then erupts, hitting our enemies.

"Come, Volt..."

Suzu jumps over Fenrir as I fire another arrow, but the wolf dodges in her attempt to attack the ninja; both girls miss.

"Barrier!" Mint calls and an invisible barrier blocks her and Cless from another lightning attack. I fire another arrow at Fenrir. I pull out another and notch it, then I pull back. Ow! Ack, I misfired... The arrow hits the ground at least a yard from my target. Feh. I pull out another arrow and try again...

"Come, Luna..."

"Distortion Blade!"

I keep my eyes on Fenrir as I take careful aim. There... I'm steady. I release. It hits her in the shoulder and I pull out another arrow. She's ice, right? Maybe I'm pushing it a little... but I can't let this go on any longer! I charge fire in the arrow... "Hell Pyre!" The fiery arrow hits Fenrir dead on and then dissolves into thin air. She glares at me and growls. That took more out of me than I thought it would...

"Come, Shadow..."

"Pow Hammer!"

There's an explosion—the tree! The Giant Kharlan Tree... wood is flying everywhere! I lift my arm up to block my head from being hit—ow! I fall back, onto the ground. There's a woman ahead... with green hair... Is that Martel?!

"Hey! Let go of me!" Oh no, Arche! Thor has her!

"Auoun, please stop this!" They have Mint, too! I stand up. And... Cless! No, he doesn't look the same... Odin must be controlling him! Cless now has the Eternal Sword in his hands...

"O mighty sword of time, take us to Yggdrasil in the present year!"

"No—Cless!" It's too late—they disappear... Odin, Thor, Fenrir, Mint, Cless... and Arche...

"Sensei!" Suzu calls out as she runs past me. Klarth's just ahead, lying on his back. No, Klarth...! I run over as well and kneel down next to him.

"Hey, Klarth! Wake up!"

He slowly opens his eyes and blinks. "...Is that my hat...?"

I can't help but let a small grin through. "Yeah. Here you go." I take it off and put it on his head; he immediately straightens it.

"Thanks."

I stand up and offer him a hand. "They took the others. Are you okay?"

"Yeah." He takes my hand and I try to pull him up, but instead I fall down as well. The summoner chuckles. "Looks like we're both low on energy..."

"What happened?"

"They were using my summons to destroy the Giant Kharlan Tree... Mint distracted me before I finished bringing all of them, so..."

We all turn to stare at the tree. The top part of it is completely obliterated, and the rest doesn't look so good... Is it still alive at all?

"What'll happen to Derris-Kharlan?"

"I don't know... it may die if we don't find a way to heal it quick or bring another Mana Seed. If the planet dies, the people won't have anything to eat and will slowly die as well..."

"They did that to take Martel back?" inquires Suzu.

"Yeah, and make sure she never comes here again..."

"But why?! Why would they do that?!"

"They're scared of what'll happen to Aselia..." Klarth mutters.

"...We have to get to them before it's too late." I'm not going to let it end like this... Even if Aselia's safe, I can't just sit back and watch Derris-Kharlan die!

"We have no way of getting to Aselia, and even if we did, we don't have the power to beat them. You and I have no energy left, and Suzu can't fight all three of them by herself."

"Still... we have to try... or Arche will..." She'll die if we don't do something! I can't let her die... I can't let her die no matter what!

"It doesn't change the fact that we don't have a way out of here..."

We hear footsteps behind us—I spin around, pulling out an arrow and notching it on my bow, while Klarth pulls out his book for defense and Suzu readies her dagger. A man is running towards us, long blonde hair and cloaks flowing around him. He's... Dhaos!

Dhaos doesn't seem to even notice us—he stares at the Giant Kharlan Tree in horror. "No... I was too late!"

Klarth tries his best to stand, wobbling on his way up; I follow his example so that we're both standing, staring at Dhaos. "It's not too late," the summoner says. "They're on Aselia, at Yggdrasil. If we leave now, we might be able to save Derris-Kharlan!"

The man stares at us with disgust. "Why do you want to save Derris-Kharlan?"

"Why you...! Do you think we're going to just let a planet die?! There are people living here!" This is Lloyd's home... Lloyd, Kratos, Colette, Zelos, and Noishe... This is their home, what they've been fighting to protect!

"...Fine, I'll take you with me. However... Don't you dare touch the person who did this to the Tree! When I find him, I'm going to..."

I can feel his mana from here! I hope he means Odin and not Klarth...

"That's fine. Just take us to Aselia."

"Then hurry up and come over here." Dhaos begins concentrating and the three of us hurry to surround him. A red light shoots over us and we teleport back to Aselia.

Where are we...? Ah, I know this place! We're south of Miguel! On the other side of those mountains is Yggdrasil...

"Let's go!" Klarth says.

"Right!"

Without a word, Dhaos begins walking in the opposite direction.

"Aren't you coming?" questions the teacher.

"I'll meet you there. I have... other business to attend to first." We watch him walk off. I wonder what he means...? What about his planet?!

"We have no time to waste," the ninja reminds me. "I'll transport us the rest of the way." She begins concentrating and the leaves begin flying around us. "Shadow Storm!"

Round two! I already have my bow ready and pointing in the general direction of the enemies by the time we reach Yggdrasil. Suzu dashes straight for Thor as Klarth begins preparing a summon. I shoot at Fenrir.

Mint's being held by Thor, but he throws her on the ground to fight Suzu; the princess stands up and runs over to Cless. From the looks of it, the swordsman is still being controlled by Odin. Mint... that idiot! She'll get hurt! I turn my attention to the two of them. I dash over and grab Cless' right arm; Mint grabs his other arm and we hold him down.

"Cless, listen to me! You have to get a hold of yourself!"

"Cless-san... I know you can fight him..." Oh no, Fenrir! I forgot about her! She's lunging at Mint...!

"Chester, let go!" Cless yells and I follow his order; "Light Spear!" He slashes up, hitting Fenrir dead on with a powerful light blast emitting from his sword. The wolf falls to the side and Cless hugs Mint. "Mint... thank you..."

Hey, what about me? Oh well... Where's Arche? Ah! There she is—she's in some sort of barrier, and she looks to be in pain! No! I rush over to it, but the barrier's solid. I bang on it with my fists. "Arche! Arche!" No, this isn't helping! I have to get through somehow!

"Come, Aska!"

Everything gets brighter for a minute, but it doesn't help Arche.

"Jiraiya!" Suzu yells. Thor falls against the barrier, a barrage of fire hitting him, and the lightning from his hammer—the barrier! It affected the barrier, made it weaker! If I attack it with something strong enough, then maybe... Wait, but I don't have the strength for that!

"Klarth!" I glance back at the summoner to see him sweating and panting heavily as he concentrates on another summon. He won't be able to last much longer as it is... Suzu's busy with Thor, and Cless is fighting Fenrir... It's up to me, then! I have one attack I haven't tried yet...

...I just hope it works. I back up and pull out an arrow—the pink one... Arche's arrow. I'll save you, Arche! I notch it and draw it back in the string, gathering energy up in it. It begins growing with red mana, and more bubbles of the mana are floating around me. I aim at the barrier, where Arche is. "Dragon Slayer!" I release, and the arrow pierces through the air, the bubbles of mana following behind it. Whoa, I feel dizzy... I can barely stand now... Arche... is she safe...? Yeah, there she is, slowly pushing herself off the ground...

Ow! I fall to the ground, something heavy on top of me. Something furry and black... Fenrir! Where's my bow?! No, it's just out of reach! The wolf snaps at me and I hold my arms up to guard my face. Ow, my arms! Blood drips onto my cheek. "Sorry, Fenrir..." I say as I grab one of her legs, "but I think we should start seeing other people!" I try to lift her leg up, but it doesn't budge; my arms ache from the strain of trying. Fenrir growls and her claws dig in to my chest. "Ow... You don't have to take it... that hard..." I can barely see...

Her sharp teeth clamp around my neck. It hurts...!

----

I... remember... I remember everything. I remember when I was a young boy, running around Miguel with Cless... and swimming in the water as Ami watched us, scared... I remember middle school and high school, and getting accepted to Alvanista's college... meeting Mint and Suzu... and meeting _her_... Heh, I always used to tease Arche about the silliest things. If she did anything stupid or amusing, I'd be the first to jump on it, and she'd get mad and start arguing with me. I remember all the times we sat after class and talked to Klarth; he was special to all of us... he was the only teacher that cared. I remember...

I have a beginning now. Even if it doesn't concern me anymore, I... _need_ to see the end of this. I need to know that my friends will be okay...

I'm a ghost now. My body's lying on the ground, blood still spilling from my wounds. Arche slowly reaches a hand down to touch it, but stops, scared. "Chester...? Hey, wake up! This better not be some kind of joke..." She's crying... I'm sorry, Arche... "Chester!"

"Rising Phoenix!" Cless yells as he charges up in the air surrounded by fire and comes back down on Thor.

"Jiraiya!" A large orange toad falls from the sky and Suzu jumps on its back; it opens its wide mouth and spits out fire at Fenrir. Odin, equipped with a staff, is fighting Klarth with normal attacks. Mint runs over to Arche and begins concentrating on a spell.

"Cure!" The wounds on my body close up, but other than that, it does nothing. Tears form in the princess' eyes. "No... This can't be right..."

Arche stands up, her face hidden from view. "You idiot... you said you weren't going to die..." She begins concentrating on a spell. Those idiots! They should take Martel and get out of there!

"Ahh!" Cless falls to the ground, beat up; electricity charges through his body as Thor slowly advances. Klarth's not fairing so well, either—he can barely stand, let alone fight Odin. Suzu and Fenrir are jumping all around each other, neither landing a blow...

"ERUPTION!" The area rumbles as fire shoots up through the group and then rains back down, hitting both friends and enemies. Arche's face is streamed with tears, her face full of contempt. Arche...

"Heh. Was that supposed to hurt?" Odin asks; he looks completely refreshed after that attack. Fire forms in his hand and he shoots it at Arche. The witch yelps as she falls to the ground.

"Arche-chan! ...Heal!"

"Nurse," Odin says, healing Fenrir and Thor. Wait, that's not fair! The enemy shouldn't be able to heal as well! Mint begins charging up for another spell, but the thunder from Thor's hammer hits her and she falls to the ground. This isn't good... they don't stand a chance at this rate!

"Thor!" Cless charges in, and hammer meets sword; electricity from the hammer charges out and knocks Cless back.

"Mint, Sensei needs help!" Suzu says before charging in to fight Fenrir again. I glance around—Klarth's resting against a tree, panting and clutching his crimson wounds.

"Klarth... everyone... don't you dare join me!" They can't hear me, I know they can't, but...

Mint tries to charge past Odin, but his staff hits her square on. Mint, Klarth...!

"Heal!" That wasn't Mint—it was another woman! Runes float over Klarth's body and some of his wounds vanish. Runes?!

"Wind Blade!" Gusts of wind as sharp as daggers cut through Thor's skin.

"I'm going to make you pay, Fenrir!" A large red hammer bops Fenrir on the head and the wolf stalls, wordless. No, that's...!

Ami! What's she doing here?! Not just her—Milard and Dhaos, too! "Ami, you idiot! Run away—quickly!" Damn it, she can't hear me! I float over to her and try to grab her, but my hand goes straight through. No!

Fenrir seems to laugh at Ami's pathetic attack and leaps into the air. "AMI!"

"Impact!" Dhaos' hand is glowing red—it touches Fenrir and mana explodes, sending the wolf flying. "Idiot!" Dhaos yells at my sister. "I told you not to get in the way!"

"But I..." Ami glances around and her eyes fall on my body. This couldn't get any worse...! I don't want Ami to see that... "Onii-chan!" She runs over; Arche's standing above my body, preparing another spell. "Onii-chan! Onii-chan!" She's crying... Ami... "...No! You said... you said you wouldn't die! Onii-chan..."

"RAY!" Arche yells, and a ball of light shoots out beams—powerful, magical beams that hit the gods, but don't seem to do much...

"Everyone, we can't win like this...!" Milard calls out. "We have to retreat!"

"Keh, fine..." I hear Dhaos mutter and a red light erupts from him, surrounding all of us and yet somehow repelling the gods. He's... transporting us?! Where?! What the heck's going on around here?!

**Klarth gained the title of Dominator of Space-Time. It is a title given only to the Hero of Space-Time who gained all of his summons back.**

**Chester gained the title of Savior. It is a title given to one who risks everything to save someone's life.**

**Chester gained the title of Ghost. He's still hanging around, even when dead.**

**Klarth joined the party.**

**Ami joined the party.**

**Milard joined the party.**

**Dhaos joined the party.**


	30. Bonus Chapter: Aselian Idol

**Yes, there is more story, but before you find out where Dhaos transported them to, I have two bonus chapters for you (please don't kill me!)! This first one is from Klarth's point of view, during chapter 21 (Unlucky One)... that Summon Spirit Karaoke thingy in Lone Valley that Klarth mentioned before.**

**This chapter was partially inspired by a youtube video made with the same song used... Thank you, cruxisseraphim, for the awesome video! (Though you're probably not reading this... thank you anyway!)**

**And thank you, Xantos, for helping me come up with the name of the chapter (and Klarth's title)!**

**Please enjoy this bonus chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of Phantasia. It is owned by Namco. I do not own the song 'Be a Man', either. That is owned by Disney, used in the movie Mulan.**

**--Aselian Idol****--**

"To save Aselia. You don't need to know any more than that." My voice says it, but I'm not controlling it... Auoun—no, Odin is. Chester is standing in front of me, aiming an arrow at me on his bow. Next to him is Noishe, growling, and lying on top of the creature is Cless and—hey, is that my pack?! Well, at least it's being put to good use... but I don't think I left anything in there that can help Chester figure out this mystery.

"I don't believe you. If you were doing things for good, you would've consulted us!" Chester yells, contempt in his voice. Chester... you're right. I would've consulted you for something like this. Come on, you're so close to figuring it out...

"Would you be willing to make the sacrifice?" Odin asks seriously, though it's my voice that speaks. This is pretty strange... "In order to save Aselia, something else must be lost. ...I don't think you could handle that."

_"I'm right about him, aren't I?"_ Odin asks me internally.

Yeah, you are... He and the others would—no, _will_ find a way to save Derris-Kharlan as well.

_"That's what you all did last time... and look at where that left us. Derris-Kharlan is long lost, and it shouldn't steal from us!"_

"What do you mean?" Chester asks as his grip on the bow loosens. Don't drop your guard, Chester! Haven't you learned _anything_ in my class?!

"Are you saying you wouldn't mind sacrificing people for the sake of this planet? Would you be okay with that, Chester?"

"What if there's a way without sacrificing people?"

I agree. You really should open up to other ideas, Odin... You'll be amazed what those kids can do.

_"Oh shut up. This is the best way... no thanks to you _humans_."_

I hear my voice laughing...

"I'm being serious!" the archer yells angrily.

"Wake up, Chester. The world isn't that perfect. You should already know that it's easier to lose than to gain... This world will die without Martel, and we're going to bring her back and make sure she never leaves again."

"I'm trying to bring Martel back, too... But I'm going to do it without sacrificing anyone!"

"...I'm bored with your silly ideals. I'm taking Cless now." Odin begins walking forwards.

Chester tightens his grip on the bow and aims it at me. "Don't take another step!"

My body stops moving. "I thought you didn't want any sacrifices," Odin says, and I can hear his amusement in my head.

"I'll fight you... I won't let you hurt anyone else!" He's trembling... he doesn't want to shoot. Er, oops, maybe I should watch what I think...

_"I already saw it. Besides, why do you think we brought you here? He wouldn't kill you... it should be easy to get Cless back from him."_

I begin walking towards Cless again.

"I said don't move!"

"You wouldn't shoot me," Odin says with confidence. Chester thinks that's me... Efreet, why didn't you tell him what's going on?!

_"I couldn't speak, remember?"_ Efreet's harsh voice says.

Oh yeah...

_"I'm not letting that mistake repeat again,"_ Odin says.

_"I guess I should've said something better..."_ Origin mutters. _"Now we may never have another chance..."_

Hm... Hey wait, how _can_ you use my summons, anyway?

_"I'm controlling you, remember? Even if your mind's not in it, I can make you use the power that binds you to your summons... but as long as your mind isn't with what I order them to do,__ the pacts you have with them cannot be broken.__ It's really simple for a god such as myself.__"_

_"Please let Klarth go... he doesn't want to hurt his friends..."_ Sylph speaks up, her voice as timid as always.

Before Odin can reply, an arrow whizzes past my face. Wow, Chester actually shot!

_"I don't believe this..."_

Volt says something, but it's incomprehensible. I really need to learn how to understand him... or is it a her?

Chester pulls out another arrow and notches it on his bow. "I said don't move."

"Wow, you have more guts than I expected! Still, a wasted effort... I know you won't hit me with one, no matter how much you threaten." Now I'm walking towards Chester... Hey, Odin! Leave him out of this! You want Cless, remember?! ...Odin!

Noishe's growls grow louder, but he backs up to keep Cless away from me.

"You won't kill me, Chester," my voice speaks. "After all, I'm the closest thing you have to a father, aren't I?"

Eh? Really?

_"...Just how slow _are_ you humans?"_ Odin asks impatiently.

He really sees me like that...?

_"Yes."_

I'm too young to be his father, though...

_"I thought you knew..."_ Maxwell speaks up.

...Okay, how many of you knew?

_"I did."_—Sylph.

_"Me, too."_ Efreet.

_"It's obvious..."_ mutters an annoyed Origin.

_"I noticed, and I haven't been here that long,"_ Gnome adds.

Volt says something as well... Erm, can someone translate?

_"He knew as well,"_ Origin explains.

...So basically, everyone except me.

_"Yep,"_ they all answer.

Figures. So then... this must really hurt Chester a lot...

_"I'm sure he'll figure it out, Klarth..."_ Sylph attempts to cheer me up.

Thanks, Sylph.

My hand is on Chester's bow now, slowly lowering it. He allows me to... he looks so lost... and I can't do anything to help him... "Klarth... don't do this..." he mutters desperately.

"I don't know what he's thinking, putting his trust in you..." Odin says, talking about me. My hands shift the book up so it's lodged under my arm and reach for a dagger hidden in my belt. Wait, Odin...! "You couldn't do anything anyway... Still, I won't let you get in the way any longer." No don't—!

It's useless—I can't control it—I stab Chester. He moves just in time, dodging most of the hit, though the dagger cuts through his arm. He almost drops his bow and arrow. Maybe he'll figure it out now... I don't use daggers!

I walk towards him, and he presses his back against the cavern wall, blue hair falling over his troubled eyes. I hear something behind me...

"Crow Blade!" I spin around and hold my arm up, blocking most of Suzu's attack. Oww... Hey, Odin, if you're in control, shouldn't this hurt you instead of me?!

_"It _does_ hurt me, you idiot! You're not a summon__ spirit__—you're still the owner of th__is body, so you feel it as well!__"_

Suzu lands on the ground in front of me, holding her daggers up.

"Suzu! What took you so long?!" Chester demands.

"I had to find another way up," she explains. "Sensei! It _was_ you, wasn't it?! You took Origin and the Eternal Sword in Treantwood... and attacked me..."

"That's right. Honestly I would've liked something more direct... but I guess it works out better this way."

Wait, I attacked her in Treantwood?

_"Yeah. That was the first time I took control of you... but I made sure you wouldn't remember it.__"_

Maxwell, Sylph, Efreet, how come none of you told me?!

_"He took our rings off before we realized what was going on, so we didn't know, either..."_

Hm, nicely played... _Very_ nicely played... So you got Origin without me knowing since I already had a pact with him... Well, if you want summons so bad, why don't we show you what it's like to have them?

_"...What are you blabbering about _now_...?"_ Odin sounds impatient.

Okay, everyone! Karaoke time!

Volt starts out with its gibberish, blabbing as loud as it can. That... doesn't really sound to good... it sounds like a machine... I can't even recognize the tune! Um, Volt, I don't think you're keeping a beat...

Er, let me start. How's this... Let's get down to business, to defeat, the Huns! Did they send me daughters, when I asked, for soooons? Come on, sing with me!

_"You're the saddest bunch I ever met,"_ Efreet and I sing. Geez Efreet has a horrible singing voice... it sounds too raspy... Oh well, it works perfectly for this! _"But you can bet, before we're through..."_

_"Mister IIIII'll,"_ Gnome's in—someone _really_ needs to teach these spirits how to sing! _"Make a man, out of you..."_ Volt's also trying, though it sounds more like he's saying something else...

_"Tranquil as a forest,"_ Sylph's soft voice joins in. Ahh, _she_ can sing! Very nicely! Unfortunately, you can barely hear her over Efreet, Gnome, Volt, and me... _"But a fire, within! Once you find your center, you are sure, to wiiiiin!"_

_"...This is the most pathetic thing I've _ever_ heard,"_ Odin mutters.

Come on, Maxwell, Origin! Join in!

_"No,"_ Origin says coldly, while Maxwell chuckles.

_"You're a spineless, pale, pathetic lot and you haven't got a clue! Somehow I'll... make a maaaaan, out of yoooouuu!"_

_"I'm never gonna catch my breath!"_ Gnome sings.

_"__Say goodbye to__ those who knew me!__"_ Wow, Efreet's voice is perfect for that part!

Er... I hope Volt's singing the right thing here...

_"This guy's got him scared to death."_ Yeah, that's the spirit, Maxwell! Erm, no pun intended...

_"Hope he doesn't see right through me,"_ Sylph sings beautifully.

_"...Now I really wish that I knew how to swim..."_ Origin mutters. As we begin singing the next part, I hear him mumble, _"This is embarrassing..."_

I give Origin a mental pat. _"Be a man! You must be swift as the coursing river! Be a man! With all the force of a great typhoon! Be a man! With all the strength of a raging fire, mysterious as the dark side of, the __mooooooon__!"_

_"Will you guys shut up?! This is annoying!"_ Odin says.

_"Time is racing towards us! 'Til the Huns, arrive!"_

_"This is sickening... How do you not get a migraine with this?!"_

_"Heed my every order,"_ my summons and I sing, _"and you might, survive!"_ Yes, this is working! He's getting a headache! _"You're not suited for, the rage of war! So pack up, go home, you're through... How could I, make a man, out of yooooou?"_

_"Shut up shut up shut _up_!"_

_"Be a man! You must be swift as the coursing river! Be a man! With all the force of a great typhoon! Be a man! With all the strength of a raging fire, mysterious as the dark side of, the __mooooooon__!"_

_"You guys can't sing, so shut up!"_

I thought you wanted to live with summon spirits? My friends and spirits keep singing.

_"I hate you, Klarth!__ You did this on purpose! It's not __wise__ to anger the person who controls your body!"_

You can't kill me. You need me. Besides, it's fun doing karaoke with my summons!

_"Maybe I can't kill you... but Milard is in Fenrir's grasp."_

What?! Everyone, stop!

They stop singing.

_"What's going on? Isn't Milard your girlfriend, Klarth?__"_ Gnome asks.

_"__That's right__... and if any of you try something like this to annoy me again, she'll die!"_

Coward...

_"__No, wise. Do y__ou think I _enjoy_ you singing in my head?!"_

Not really, no. But it stopped you from hurting Chester and Suzu.

_"__Keh, f__orget it, they're already gone..."_

...Hey Odin?

_"_What_?!"_

...Where's my hat?

_"I don't know and I don't care!"_How the _heck_ did you manage to lose my hat? It doesn't fall off easily, you know!

_"__Noishe stole it. __It was a silly hat anyway..."_

It is _not_ a silly hat. It's an amazing hat, and one of a kind! I expect it back.

_"I don't care—I'm getting out of your head ASAP."_

I see light... we're outside now, where Thor's waiting. _"I'll let you think about it__ some."_ He leaves my head and my body collapses. Thor grabs my arm and we teleport away. Ugh... I need to be more prepared for his releases...

**Klarth gained the title of Aselian Idol. He doesn't necessarily have to be a good singer to try.**


	31. Bonus Chapter: Chester's Sister

**Second bonus chapter! This one's from Ami's point of view, near the end of chapter 29... It shows how she and Milard met Dhaos, for those of you who were wondering. Please enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of Phantasia. It is owned by Namco.**

**--Chester's Sister****--**

I'm cold... When will Onii-chan come for us? Milard-san and I are being kept in the basement of Morrison's house... Fenrir put us here before she left... but there are lots of knights blocking the door. What's with these people...? Aren't they supposed to be Cless-san's friends? Why don't they let us out of here? They bring us food and provided us with blankets, but... I'm scared... Milard-san and I sit against the wall farthest from the knights... Milard-san is holding me, and we have the blankets over us to stay warm.

"Milard-san, where are they...?"

"Don't worry, Ami-chan. Klarth will tell them the truth... and then they'll come for us. Just give them time... they're traveling all over the world, remember?"

"Fenrir wanted to hurt Onii-chan... will he be all right...?"

"Your brother's too stubborn to die, so I'm sure he'll be fine..."

I nod. Still, I'm worried... Onii-chan doesn't even know that Fenrir's against him... what if she tries to hurt him?! _"__I'm not gonna die 'til I at least get to beat up your first boyfriend!"_ Onii-chan will be fine... he won't break his promise...

And what about Cless-san? Is he still asleep...? Surely he's woken up by now... he's in danger, too...

If something were to happen to either of them, I... I don't know what I'd do... I'm so scared... I want to go help them, but what can I do? I'm locked up here, and I don't know even the first thing about fighting... Onii-chan always tells me I'm weak when I try to punch him...

The door into the basement cracks open and light falls over our eyes; we cover them to keep them from hurting, yet I still strain to see what's going on... Milard-san stands up, and I follow her lead as the knights walk in.

"You two are coming with us," the head of them says curtly.

"What do you plan on doing with us?"

"Heh, your _friends_ obviously don't value your lives... We'll see what happens when they find your dead bodies!"

W-what?! Milard-san pulls me behind her and says, "I will not allow you to harm Ami-chan, no matter what!"

"Milard-san..."

"Well that's too bad... You don't have much of a choice! Grab 'em!"

Three knights snatch Milard-san's arms and pry her away from me, and then one picks me up. I kick, trying to get free. "Let me go! Stop it—ahh!"

"Ami-chan!"

"AH!" A knight flies into the room, bleeding; I close my eyes and turn my head away. That poor person...!

"Who are you?!" Huh?! Onii-chan?! I dare to glance up and see who's come to rescue us.

I don't recognize him... he's a tall man with long, wavy blonde hair. His sapphire eyes glare around the room, cold... so very cold and lonely... On his head is a red headband. His face is pale and slender, covered on the outside by a black cloth that also covers his neck. His tight shirt is that black material covered in strange, smooth yellow lines that curve in an odd pattern. It continues all the way down to his shoes, covering his feet. He wears a large, flowy red cloak over all of his clothes with the same odd pattern. Under that is another, thicker cloak, this one black with the yellow patterns. The black cloak ends in many yellow strands around his feet. On his wrists are large silver bracelets, and his bare fingers are even more pale than his face. Who is this man...?

He glances around, his face betraying nothing about what he's really thinking.

"We're not going to let you mess up our plan... Kill him!" Five knights start charging at him.

"Watch out!" I yell. This is terrible...!

The man easily dodges the first knight; "Impact!" the knight flies to the side of the room, hitting the wall. He punches another knight in the jaw before spinning around just in time to avoid another sword. He ducks below another and punches a third knight in the stomach, hard enough to make the knight stall even with his armor... Wow, this man is amazing! He trips the fourth knight, knocking him into the fifth. While the three start to get up, the man begins sparkling... Arche-san's done that before... is that magic? The man throws his hands forward and yells, "Aqua Edge!" Blades of water charge from his hands, hitting the three knights and throwing them to the ground.

"W-what are you?!" demands the leader. "I-it doesn't matter... I won't let you get away with this!" He begins glowing... That _must_ be a spell! "Lightning!" A bolt of electricity charges from his hands and hits the mysterious man dead-on. Oh no...!

The man begins laughing. "Ahahaha... Ahahahahahaha! Was that supposed to be a spell? How pathetic... Let me show you how it's done!" He begins charging a spell now... "Lightning!" The bolt that charges from his hands is a lot larger than that of the knight's, and it has more branches that also hit the knight. The knight screams and I look away again; I can't bear to watch...!

"D-don't move!" I hear the knight holding me yell nervously as something cold touches my neck. "I-if you come any closer, they'll both die!"

No! I can't die... I want to help Onii-chan and Cless-san! They're in danger...! "Let me go!" I yell as I struggle, but the knight only holds tighter.

The man saving us walks forward. "Do what you want. I don't care what happens to a pair of _humans_..." Eh? He didn't come... to save us...?

"How dare you... how dare you say that after what you've done to the other knights!" one of the ones holding Milard-san yells before charging forward.

The man punches the air; "Demon Fist!" A wave of energy spreads forward, along the ground, and hits the knight, making him fall. "Are the rest of you insistent on fighting me?" the man demands.

"N-no! Please spare us!"

"...Get out of my sight, you pathetic humans," the man orders. The knight holding me suddenly drops me and he runs out with the last two, scared. Ow... that hurt...

"Ami-chan!" Milard-san pulls me close, into a protective hug. "I don't know who you are... or what you want... but please, whatever you do, don't hurt the girl..."

The man says nothing, but begins searching around for something.

"E-excuse me!" I call out. "D-did Onii-chan send you... to save us?"

"Keh, as I said, I don't care what happens to a bunch of _humans_."

"Then why..."

"Those humans were attacking me. I needed to defend myself."

Milard-san and I exchange confused looks. So he saved us on accident...?

"M-my name's Ami! Ami Barklight!" I call out; I push myself away from Milard-san and run up to the man. "What's your name?"

Milard-san follows behind me, putting a kind hand on my shoulder. "My name is Milard Rune."

"...I don't care. You're free—leave."

"Won't you at least tell me your name?" I ask. He's not answering... He's still looking around, opening what little doors are down here and peeking in. "...Fine then, I'll call you Hero-san!"

He scowls. "Dhaos."

"Huh?"

"My name... It's Dhaos." Ah...! All right!

"It's nice to meet you, Dhaos-san!"

"Keh... Will you stop bothering me already?"

Wha?! But what sort of person... would _want_ to be alone...?

"Ami-chan..."

Maybe he's lonely... "What are you looking for?"

"...The bathroom."

"You've come too far, then. It's just up the stairs, first door on the left," Milard-san explains. Dhaos-san says nothing, but simply turns and begins walking away.

"Milard-san... He saved us."

"Yes... even if he didn't mean to, we're free now. This man's quite skilled... maybe he knows what's going on with our friends. Come on." She gently pulls me along, and we walk upstairs and to the now-closed bathroom door. We wait patiently for Dhaos-san to finish up and walk back into the hallway. When he does, he stares at us.

"...What do you want?"

"We're looking for some people... A man with an extremely large-brimmed hat and markings on his arms, for one..." Milard-san explains.

"He's on his way to Yggdrasil, where I should already be."

"Why? What's going on there?"

"We're fighting the gods, and I'm going to reclaim Martel for Derris-Kharlan...!" Dhaos-san brushes past us. "Don't you dare get in my way, or you'll end up like those humans that attacked me."

Milard-san lets go of me and runs after Dhaos-san; I chase behind them. "You underestimate my ability. I can support everyone well in battle... along with weakening the enemy. If you take me to them, I'll do my best to help."

"Do what you will; just don't slow me down."

"Thank you. Ami-chan..." Milard-san turns to me. "It's too dangerous for you to come. We'll be passing by Miguel, so it'd be best if you stayed there..."

"No! I want to help you and Onii-chan and Cless-san!"

"Ami-chan..."

"Can you fight?" the man asks.

"Um, well..."

"Keh, you'd only get in the way... I don't want someone who can't fight coming!"

"What?! I-I'm coming! I can help—I'll show you!"

"You'll only slow me down. I suggest you leave now."

"Ami-chan, it's dangerous..."

"I don't care! I'm going to help!" I yell. I want to help... I want to fight, too! I don't want to just wait in the dark again... I don't want to slow anyone down, or be a burden... I don't want Onii-chan or Cless-san or Klarth-san or anyone to fall into another trap because of me! But... _"Ahahaha! Geez, your punches are weak, Ami!"_ Onii-chan... I'll show you that I _can_ fight! I just... can't use my fists. I need to find something else, something I can be stronger with... Maybe a bow and arrow like Onii-chan, or a sword like Cless-san... I need to get a weapon of some sort! We're passing by Miguel, right? But Dhaos-san won't wait for me... "I promise I'll help and won't get in the way if we stop and get me a weapon!"

"No! We don't have time!"

We're working against time...? All right, then, I'll just have to buy it before they get there! "Okay! Meet you at the entrance to the forest, then!" I yell as I start running towards home.

"Ami-chan!"

I left some money at home... I'll use that to buy a weapon, and then I'll meet Milard-san and Dhaos-san... and we'll go help Onii-chan and everyone together! I'll do my best to help... I won't get in the way! And I won't let Fenrir do anything to my big brother!

Onii-chan... even if you always tease me, you've also always been there for me... You've always protected me... Now it's my turn to protect you!

It's a long way to run, and I'm really really tired... but I won't give up! I can't give up... I have to hurry! I enter the village next to my house and run inside, leaving the door open. I put my money under my bed... there it is! Ah, I should grab my key, too! That way I can lock up the house... It's right next to the entrance, so I grab it on the way out and pull the door closed behind me, locking it. I don't know how long it'll be until I come back home... Hopefully we'll defeat Fenrir-san here! And then we can concentrate on getting Onii-chan's memory back! I hurry into the weapon's shop, where I begin browsing around. I need to find something I can use... I try to pick up a sword, but it's so heavy...! The bows are far too big for me, too... where's something that's _my_ size...?

I notice a little red hammer in the corner. It looks kinda big, but... I try picking it up. Wow, it's amazingly light! Maybe I can use this...! I start swinging it around, testing it out.

"A-Ami-chan! Don't do that...!" Mr. Myson, the weapon's dealer, yells.

"S-sorry Mr. Myson!" I stop and glance down at the weapon in my hands... Yeah! This'll do! "I'll buy this!"

"Does your brother approve of you getting such a weapon?"

"I'm getting it to help him! Please—Onii-chan's in danger, and I don't have much time!"

"...I shouldn't be doing this, but hammers are pretty safe, so I'll sell it to you... That one's only 600 gald."

600... Do I have that much? I pull the pouch out of my pocket and start counting it out... Yes! I have just enough! I hand it to him and start running out. "Keep the change!" I have to hurry... I have to help Onii-chan! I see Milard-san and Dhaos-san entering the forest and I run even faster to catch up with them. "Milard-san! Dhaos-san!" They turn around, surprised.

"Ami-chan, you got a hammer...?"

"Yep! I'm going to help, too!"

"...Don't get in the way," Dhaos-san says as he turns away and quickly resumes walking through the forest.

"Ami-chan, it's too dangerous..."

"I said I'm going to help, and I'm going to help!"

"Stubborn..." I hear Dhaos-san mutter.

Milard-san, however, smiles. "You're just as stubborn as your brother... I guess nothing we say is going to make you change your mind, huh?"

"Nope! I'm coming, and that's final!"

"Just be careful, Ami-chan... I'll do my best to protect you..."

"Yay! Thank you!" I hug Milard-san, and then we hurry to catch up with Dhaos-san. Onii-chan... I'm coming to help you!

There's the battle! I see our friends fighting the gods... Klarth-san's sitting against a tree... he's bleeding! Mint-san gets hit by Odin's—I think that's Odin—staff. Cless-san is pushing himself off of the ground as the one called Thor advances on him, and Suzu-chan and Fenrir are fighting.

Milard-san holds up a feather as magic starts flowing around her... she draws blue runes in the air. "Heal!" The runes fly towards Klarth-san, and some of his wounds suddenly vanish! That's great!

"Wind Blade!" Dhaos-san yells from my other side as gusts of sharp wind hit Thor, cutting him.

They're already helping... I have to help, too! I clutch my hammer in my hands and hold it up above my head; I charge forward, straight towards Fenrir. "I'm going to make you pay, Fenrir!" I swing my hammer down on the wolf's head and she stalls, staring up at me. Is she... laughing?! It sounds horrible since she's a wolf, and—ah! She's leaping up to attack me!

"Impact!" Dhaos-san's red hand touches Fenrir, and the wolf goes flying. He saved me again... "Idiot!" Dhaos-san yells at me. "I told you not to get in the way!"

"But I..." I'm trying to help... I hit Fenrir...

Where's Onii-chan? I haven't seen his arrows, and he hasn't yelled at me for being here yet... Onii-chan...

There he is! He's... oh my... "Onii-chan!" I run over to him. He's lying on the ground, Arche-san standing above him, preparing a spell. Onii-chan isn't moving at all...! What's wrong with him?! "Onii-chan! Onii-chan!" I shake him, trying to wake him up. He feels so cold... so... "No! You said... you said you wouldn't die! Onii-chan..." You can't be... you can't be dead! You just can't... You're too strong for that...

A red light surrounds all of us; I latch on to Onii-chan, not wanting to lose him in this strange light. What's going on...?! Onii-chan, please wake up... I need you!

**Ami gained the title of Chester's Sister. She takes after him in almost every way...**


	32. Living Man

**Okay, sorry for the bonus chapters! Please enjoy the next part of the story that starts with this chapter (I'm not _near_ done yet!)... Real chapter: 30; fanfiction dot net chapter: 32. ****Ahh ****ff dot net, how I wish you could have bonus chapters that ****stayed after the story... I may take out the bonus chapters at some point, may not... I'll let you know a chapter before if I do.**

**For those of you who have stuck with it far enough to even read this, you guys are all very ****very**** awesome! Thank you for reading my story! Please continue to enjoy Teishi ****ni**** Hikkakamasu!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of Phantasia or Tales of Symphonia. They are owned by Namco.**

**--Living Man--**

What... the... we're still in the same place, except the gods aren't around!

"What happened?!" Cless demands, his sword still drawn.

"I seem to have made a miscalculation..." mutters Dhaos.

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know what happened." Well that's a lot of help!

"Onii-chan... Onii-chan!" Ami, Arche, and Mint are huddled over my body, crying. "Onii-chan, wake up... you promised you'd live..." I promised that to both Ami and Arche, didn't I? Haha... looks like I failed to keep that promise...

"Chester...!" Cless slams his sword in its sheath and he, Klarth, and Milard run over to me as well. Suzu looks away, staring at the ground in complete silence. Everyone... "No... it's real this time..." murmurs the swordsman. "Chester..."

"We don't have time to mourn," Dhaos scolds them. "We have to find out what happened to the gods before we die as well." He starts walking away, towards Miguel.

"Stop, Dhaos!" yells my best friend. "How dare you... how dare you say something like that! Do you know how important Chester was to us?! How dare you make his death so light!"

"So you'd rather die when you can't do anything anyway?" the cold man questions. "Is that what this friend of yours would want? Humans are so greedy..."

Cless' fist curls up in anger. Keh, I don't like the way Dhaos said that, but he's right. "We'll take him with us, then. We'll bury him as soon as we find a safe place..."

"Leave him," orders the angel. "It'll only be a burden to carry around a dead body."

"We're not leaving him!"

"I'll carry him," Klarth offers. "I'm too weak to fight anyway."

"...Do what you want. Just don't slow me down." With that, Dhaos begins walking again. Klarth picks up my body and everyone begins walking, following Dhaos. I should probably move on, but... I want to know where they are first, and if they'll be safe. I float along behind them.

This is definitely the forest outside of Miguel... Cless and I used to come here all the time. It looks a little different somehow... and what happened to Fenrir and the others? And—huh? Miguel... what happened to it?!

It's destroyed... it's completely destroyed... The houses are a mess of rubble, items are lying all over the ground... Did it get destroyed in the fight?

"No... no!" Cless sets off at a run, tripping over the debris, and Mint chases after him. Ami sniffles and Milard puts a kind arm around my sister. This is terrible... We all stare in silence for a few minutes. What happened to the people here...? I don't see any other ghosts...

"Ah, visitors?" a voice asks. That man... Tristan-sensei! He taught us calculus at the college! He's an old, balding man with white hair and a white beard. His eyes are so small that I don't know how he can see... None of my friends say anything, they simply stare. Tristan-sensei notices my body. "Oh... Oh dear..."

"I know this may be a bad time to ask..." mutters Klarth, "but do you think we could hold a funeral here...?"

The old man nods. "Yes. There's already a graveyard in the village... I'll arrange everything. You should head over to Cless' house." Tristan-sensei walks off and my group pauses.

"Well, we need to find Cless now anyway..." They start walking, following the path Cless and Mint took only minutes ago. This destruction is terrible... there are a few people out, all working hard to clean up. On our way, we see the graveyard he was talking about. How did they bury so many so quickly? I guess I'm about to join them... but first I want to know what happened to this village. Hey there's Cless! He's putting flowers on one of the graves... did his parents die in this...? I hope not...

"Cless..." Klarth leads the way over to the swordsman, everyone else following close behind.

"K-Klarth-san! And... Ah!" Cless takes a step back. What's wrong with him? He looks like he just saw a ghost! "W-w-what's going on here?!"

"We're trying to figure that out... Do you know what happened?" Klarth walks over, still carrying my body, which Cless' eyes are following. Klarth stares at the graves, and I look over his shoulder. Miguel and Maria Alvein... Cless' parents... "Cless, I'm sorry..."

Cless reaches out to touch my body and then withdraws his hand, scared. "Chester..." He's already seen. Did he think I'd be alive again just because he went away? Wait... about that, what happened to Mint...?

"Where's Mint?" the summoner asks for me.

"She's helping people elsewhere in the village. But Klarth-san... I-I still don't understand what's going on here... You, Suzu, Chester, Arche, Dhaos, Milard-san... Ah! Ami...! You're..."

"Onii-chan... I want Onii-chan back..." whispers my sister as she continues crying on Milard's dress.

"We're wasting time out in the open," barks Dhaos, causing Ami to jump. "Let's at least go inside and formulate a plan."

"Yeah. Cless, is your house still standing?"

"Y-yes. Come on..." He leads the group, looking back every now and then as if to confirm that they're still there. I follow them. Hey, I can float over the water now... Heh, I don't need to take the bridge! I wonder if I can go through walls like the ghosts in movies... I think I'll try that at Cless' house! Ah, there it is! It looks to be in better condition with most houses; it's roof is full and it can protect people from rain. I float towards the wall and then slowly put my hands on it. ...Or through it. That works, too. Heh heh, this could be a useful trick... maybe I should stay until night fall and spy on the girls... Anyway, I float through the wooden wall and into the house. Part of it looks messy, but the clutter seems to be contained to only certain areas—did someone try to clean? There are cushions, but no couches to sit on, so everyone finds a spot on the floor around the long coffee table. Klarth sets my body down on a mat and then joins the group, almost falling as he sits.

"Klarth, are you all right?" Milard asks, worried. Ami's sitting next to her, her eyes red and bushy as she tries to control her tears. Ami...

"Yeah... I just need time to recuperate after that battle."

"Just don't be an idiot like Chester..." mumbles Arche.

"Hey, I heard that!" I wish they could hear me... I cross my legs like I'm also sitting, but I'm floating above them, staring down at my friends.

"Klarth-san, what happened? What are you all doing here?"

"Huh?! But you came with us..."

"Cless, you don't have amnesia, do you?" the witch asks.

"N-no! Of course not!"

"Are you sure you haven't forgotten anything? They say that shock can do that, and you sound like you've forgotten..." Klarth agrees.

"I'm sure!"

"Onii-chan... Onii-chan had amnesia..."

"Eh...? He did...?" What's Cless so confused about? There's something not right about this...

The door opens up. Wait, Cless?! But he's... sitting at the table... and at the door... Wha?! I thought only Suzu could do that!

"C-Cless!" Everyone stares back and forth at the two Clesses. Their eyes meet and their faces change to shock.

The Cless at the door takes out his sword—the Eternal Sword—and holds it up defensively. "Who are you?!" The other Cless jumps to his feet and also unsheathes his sword—wait, but that one's not the Eternal Sword!

"I should be the one asking you that, you imposter! How do you have the Eternal Sword?!"

"_I'm_ the imposter?! You're the one trying to trick my friends!"

The Cless at the table runs in between my group and the other Cless. This is confusing... Which one's the real Cless?! "Liar! These are my friends!"

"Cless-san!" Mint's behind the Cless that entered, and she rests a hand on his shoulder. That Cless has Mint with him and the Eternal Sword, so he's the real Cless, right...?

"Mint!" both swordsmen exclaim.

"Get away from him!"

"Mint, there's an imposter!"

"An imposter?! Of you?!" a third voice demands from behind Mint and Cless. "Cless, Mint, move out of the way!"

"You're wrong!" yells the fake Cless. "I'm the real one! I don't know who you are or what you want, but if you continue this, I'll show you the powers of space-time!"

"There's only one true Swordsman of Space-Time!" combats the other Cless as he prepares for a fight. "Mint, stay back."

The princess glances at all of her friends, scared. Her eyes fall on my body. "Ah, Cless-san! Wait!" She grabs his arm and his attention, and she points to my body.

"But then..." Cless spins around, his sword pointing at whoever's outside now. ...Hey, maybe I should use that floating-through-walls trick... I float over to the wall and stick my head out.

"H-hey! Cless, what's going on with you?!" Wait, but that's...! That's me! But I'm... No, he must be an imposter! He looks exactly like me and has his bow and his quiver on his back. What's going on?!

"I hoped that Chester was really alive... I hoped it was all just a bad dream... but..."

"Everyone hold on here!" calls Klarth, and all attention turns to him. "Cless—both of you—Mint, Chester, come in. Let's figure out what's going on _before_ we fight."

"A wise idea," the Cless by the table says as he throws his sword in its sheath and leans against a wall. The other three come inside as well, putting all weapons up as well.

"Now then, I'm sure there's a logical explanation behind there being two Clesses and two Chesters..."

"Klarth-sensei, are you nuts?" asks the witch. "I don't see how this is logical at—"

"A-Ami! You're alive!"

"Onii-chan... Onii-chan!" Ami jumps up and rushes into his arms.

"Hey! Let go of my sister you imposter!" Gah, I hate being a ghost! I can't even punch him!

"You're really alive..."

"Stupid girl," mutters Dhaos. "We don't even know if that's the real Chester. I thought your friend died."

"Wha?! I'm not dead!" In response, everyone points to my body. The man stares at it, taken aback. "He looks just like me... That's just... creepy... Look, I don't know who that is, but I'm the real Chester Barklight, and I'm not dead."

"Stop lying! I'm the only real one around here!" I try to yell back.

"But we saw you..." The Cless with the Eternal Sword can't finish the sentence; he's too scared to.

"And second of all, how is Dhaos here?! I thought he was dead!"

"And Ami, too..."

"Cless, don't jinx it."

"Ah, sorry Chester!"

"Eh? But Onii-chan, I never even seemed to die..."

Arche jumps to her feet, tears in her eyes. "Which one's the real Chester?! I'm tired of this... I'm tired of this! Is Chester alive or dead?! I..." Arche... what's she so sad about? She hated me anyway, right...?

Not according to Klarth...

The imposter-Chester walks over to Arche and puts his arms around her, hugging her. H-hey! Wait a minute! Let her go! "I'm alive, Arche..."

"Then who died?" questions Suzu. "From what I saw, Chester destroyed the barrier surrounding Arche and then got attacked by Fenrir. The teeth marks on his neck and claw marks on his chest are proof of the battle."

"We could always do a quiz to figure out who's the real one..." suggests Klarth. "Questions that only Cless and Chester could answer..."

"That's a great idea!" both Clesses exclaim at the exact same time.

The door opens again and an all-too-familiar face pops in. Another Arche, too?! "Guess who's back! Uh..." She notices the problem with this picture. She stares around in silence at everyone, including my imposter and my body. Ah great, two Arches... on second thought, that imposter-Chester can deal with them all he wants.

"Arche..." he mutters as he stares back and forth between them, still clutching the real Arche.

"C-Chester... Are you alive or are you dead?!"

"I'm alive!"

"And who's that?!

The fake-Chester lets go, completely dumbfounded. "There are two Arches, too... Which one's the real one...?"

"I'm the real one!" both yell at once. This isn't going anywhere...

"All right, all right. Everyone just calm down..." Klarth speaks up over the group. "Sheesh... Okay, let's get all of the doubles near the door. Everyone else can stay here. We'll make a quiz for you out of questions that only the real ones can answer to figure out who's real and who's fake."

Well, now the two Clesses, Arches, and the fake-Chester are standing by the door. Now they'll figure out that that's not me! Everyone else is sitting by the table, thinking up questions.

"Chester, who gave us the Narikiri costumes?" questions Suzu.

"Narikiri? What are you talking about?"

"You know, the Narikiri Costume Shop!" the real Arche says. I've been keeping track... she's the one on the right.

"I've never heard of such a place..."

Arche slouches. "Oh... I guess you're not the real one, then..."

"Wha?! Of course I'm the real one! Arche..." My imposter curls up his fist. "I..." He turns to stare at both of them, nervousness in his eyes. "Do you not remember me...? Was a hundred years too long...?"

"A hundred years? What are you _talking_ about?" the real Arche asks.

"Eh?! No, of course not!" says the other, flustered. "Chester, Cless, Mint... I'm glad to see you all again! It's been so long... I would say I have a message from Klarth-sensei, but he's already here somehow, so..."

Huh?! This isn't making any sense...

"Then you're the real Arche!" concludes the fake-Chester.

"Keh. Not that it matters to you. You fell for the fake! I can't believe I wasted a hundred and two years waiting for you!"

"I am _not_ fake!" argues the real Arche. A hundred and two years?! What's this fake talking about?!

"H-hey! You came in asking if I was alive or dead!"

"Jerk!"

"Ditz... You haven't changed a bit!"

The fake-Arche grins. "Neither have you!"

"Well if that's not convincing, I don't know what is..." mutters Klarth. Hey wait a minute...!

"Klarth-sensei, I'm not a fake!"

"I'm not saying that you are."

"Huh?! But if you're saying that they're real—"

"Arche, I know you're really Arche. I've been keeping track. Just as I know that the Cless I know is the one on the left and the Chester I know is... Well, anyway, don't you remember _anything_ from my history class?"

"History?! What does _that_ have to do with _this_?!" demands the weasel.

"History and math."

"History and math..." repeats the real Cless. "Ah! Of course! One hundred and two years... that's the difference of 4304 and 4202!"

"Ah! That's when the Heroes of Space-Time were time traveling..."

"Yes. Since Arche's a half elf, it makes sense that she'd be able to live that long..." Klarth turns to the three fakes... or are they fakes? No, I think I understand... "We're from the year 6548. This is the year 4304, correct?"

"Yes... but how are you..." Cless pauses, trying to think of the right words to finish his question.

"We're your reincarnations. We're you in the future, and you're us in the past."

"EHHHH?!"

"So that means you're not a fake..."

"Wait, but that means I'm dead in the future!" the other Chester realizes. "...Geez, some future..."

"Chester..."

"And Ami..." His eyes fall on my little sister. Ami's dead in this time, right...? Maybe it'd be best... "Ami, do you want to stay here? I... I mean, neither of us have any family, and yet..." Chester's at a loss of words.

"Onii-chan..."

"Even if you tried, it wouldn't work out that well," Klarth points out. "You come from two completely different time periods—everything's changed in our time. Plus you have different memories of each other... it may only end up in both of you being sad and lonely."

No one says a word. Klarth's probably right... I want Ami to be happy, though...

"Ami doesn't have any family now..." mumbles Cless—I think the one from my time. "You can stay with us if you want..."

"What she needs is family," argues Chester. That's so weird... "Cless... Well, future-Cless, you don't understand what it's like to be without any family. It's lonely... Cless, Mint, and I live together now, and we're happy like that, but..."

"...We still all miss our family. Nothing can change that..."

"Chester-san..." a little boy peeks in past Arche. "There are some people here who want to see you. They found another one..."

"Tell them I'll be there in a minute."

The boy nods and hurries off.

"What was that about?" asks future-Cless.

"That's one of the kids Chester takes care of," the other Cless explains. "He runs an orphanage now."

"An orphanage? You?!" Hey, Arche, you don't have to sound so surprised!

"Yeah."

"I see... an orphanage..." What's Klarth thinking so hard about? "...Then I'll adopt Ami."

"Eh?!"

"K-Klarth-san, you don't have to..."

"She doesn't have any family now, right?" the summoner points out. "It's the least I can do... I'm sure Chester would be happy with that decision. What do you say, Ami?"

Ami nods and walks over to the summoner, who pulls the sad girl into a hug. Klarth... thank you...

"I have papers if you want to do that now, but they might be different for your time..." Chester says.

"Let me see them."

The past-Chester walks over to a cabinet and pulls some papers and a pen out, which he hands to Klarth.

"You should put Chester on there as well," suggests future-Arche. "He really looked up to you... well, excluding when he thought you were against us..."

"No, even then he probably looked up to you," argues the ninja. "He just didn't know what to believe."

"Yeah, I'll do that..." We wait in silence as Klarth fills out the papers. Is he sure about this? I hope he doesn't feel obliged to...

"Klarth, are you sure about this?" Milard asks.

"Yeah. I want to do this... for Chester and for Ami. I only wish Chester could be around for this, too..."

Heh, I finally won't be an orphan after I'm dead... how ironic.

"Hm... Chester, it needs the owner of the orphanage to sign it, but... it'd look odd if _you_ signed it..."

"Then allow me," offers Mint. "I'm the princess, so it should be good enough."

"All right." The summoner hands the papers and pen over.

"Mint, you're a princess?" inquires the past-Cless.

"Yes, though... only by adoption..." She signs the paper. "Here you go, Klarth-san."

"Then it's done."

"Onii-chan... we have a father..." Ami's still crying. Klarth pats her on the back... or should I call him Dad...?

Ami has a home now. They have the Eternal Sword... they can figure out what to do next and go back to their time. I might as well stay here... Fenrir won't remember any of that in this time, so I won't have to worry about her for two thousand years or so. Everything will be all right now... I should leave. "Goodbye, everyone... take care. Arche, Ami, please don't be sad..." I turn away from them and float through the wall. I don't really know where I should go, but... my guess is Yggdrasil. I'll start there at least.

I float above the ruined city. From here, I can see people slowly working to rebuild it... there aren't many yet, but they're all working hard. I see my past-self leaving Cless' house... his house, too, right? Cless lives in the same spot in my time... heh, maybe it's not that different after all. But then again, these people seem _way_ behind on technology...

I enter the forest and float through that, towards the large tree. Yggdrasil... this would be just after Martel went to Derris-Kharlan, right? I wonder what the others will do to save Derris-Kharlan... Maybe I can still watch them somehow... I place my hands on the large mana tree. I can feel the mana... it's about the only thing I can feel. It's drawing me in...

Everything goes black. Should it be this dark...? I hear something far off, but what is it...? I strain my ears to hear more. Voices... that's all I can really tell...

Wait a second, I feel... heavy...? I feel like I'm stuck to the soft ground below me... and I feel cold... Is this Yggdrasil?

"Did it work...?"

"It's a limited time frame, so we might've missed it... if that's the case, there's nothing we can do..."

Something—or someone—warm grabs my hand and squeezes it. "Chester... please wake up..." Huh...? That sounds like... Arche...

I slowly open my eyes. I'm inside a building... there's a wooden ceiling above me, and people staring down at me: Arche, Arche, Ami, Klarth, Cless, Cless, Chester, Mint, Mint, Suzu, Milard... Wait! But they were back at Cless' house...! I slowly push myself up. I feel so heavy... "Where... am I?"

"Chester!"

Ack! I can't breath! They're all hugging me—"Hey hey hey! That hurts! Let go—ow!"

One by one, all except Ami let go. "Oww... At least as a ghost I couldn't get mauled by my friends..." I mutter sarcastically. "How _am_ I alive again...?"

Everyone points to the two Mints. Which one's which?

"Resurrection," explains one of them. "It's a power spell that uses a unicorn horn. However, it can only be used in a limited time bracket and while the person's spirit is still around."

"Looks like we made it in time!" cheers the other Mint.

"You jerk!" Arche yells as she punches my chest. Ow! "You said you wouldn't die! Liar!"

"H-hey, Arche... that hurts..."

"Jerk jerk _jerk_!" She hits harder with every word. She glares at me with tears in her eyes.

"Arche..."

"Hmph!" The witch spins around, folding her arms.

"What happened with Lynn, anyway? Why—and _how_—was she turning you in to ice?" questions Cless.

"Lynn's really Fenrir."

"Eh?! Fenrir?!"

"That makes sense... Auoun is Odin and Curt is Thor," explains Klarth. "So I guess you've broken up with her, then?"

"Of course!"

"As I said, you're good at getting yourself in dangerous relationships..." mutters Cless.

"Hey, that's the only dangerous one I've been in!" I remember now... the other girls I went out with were _nice_.

"What about Arche?"

"What _about_ her?! There's nothing between me and Arche!"

"Oh really...?" Cless jerks a thumb behind him and I follow it. There I see our past-selves hugging. Me and Arche... in our previous lives...

...This... but... she's... "My past-self is a traitor."

"Yeah, mine too..." agrees the witch. Everyone else laughs, including our past-selves. I don't believe this... Arche's annoying! How could I...

"Onii-chan..." mutters my sister, who's still holding on to my stomach. "You're not going to die again, right...?"

I smile. "Of course not. And now we have a father... we have a family! Isn't that great, Ami?"

"Yeah!"

"So you were watching that?" inquires the summoner.

"Yeah. Thank you, Klar—I mean, Dad!"

"Mint," one of the Mints says to the other. "Why don't we make everyone something to eat?"

"Sure." The two walk away.

"We'll need a way to tell you doubles apart," mutters Dhaos, sounding annoyed. "Then we need to figure out a way to save Derris-Kharlan..."

"Hey, slow down a bit!" says a Cless. "Chester just returned to the living—give him a chance to rest! We _all_ need rest after that battle... Um, Cless... do you mind if we stay here for a little while?"

"Sure, use the facilities here as you please! Trust me, with time travel, you'll have plenty of time to prepare and get back before it's too late!"

"You should probably get some sleep, Chester," suggests my father.

Instead, I stand up. "No, I need to stretch... I'm going to take a walk."

"Chester, you shouldn't push yourself..."

"I'm fine, Cless. I'm not going far." I walk to the door and then turn back to all of my friends. "Thank you, everyone... it's great to be alive!"

**Klarth gained the title of Dad. It is a title given to the best of men, the father of children.**

**Ami gained the title of Adopted Daughter. All she needed was family... and now she has it!**

**Chester gained the title of Adopted Son. He was an orphan, but now he has a father!**

**Chester gained the title of Living Man. It's ****good**** to be alive!**

**Mint learned Resurrection.**


	33. Studious Man

**Sorry, this is another talking chapter! A long one, too... It's meant to be relaxing after the previous battle, so enjoy learning more about the characters' relationships with Chester and the funny scenes that ensue between some of them! There will be more action in the next chapter...**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of Phantasia or Tales of Symphonia. They are owned by Namco.**

**--Studious Man--**

So this is Aselia two thousand years ago... It's hard to believe that we're that far in the past. Everything looks so familiar, but... at the same time, it looks different. The roads, houses, everything... when I look at them, I can tell they're from the past. They don't have modern technology at all... I probably shouldn't go far on this walk... I guess I'll just walk around the village.

There aren't many people here, but those that are here are working hard to rebuild the village. Everyone's doing something, whether carrying items, cleaning up, rebuilding, or making food... Everyone's really determined. Even the children are helping—they're painting the walls. There are three of them... are they all orphans?

"Chester!" Cless' voice calls out, and I see the swordsman running over to me. He's wearing normal clothes... He still has his headband on, but he's wearing a yellow tunic with brown pants.

"Hey Cless. Which one are you...?"

"I'm the one of this time," he answers. "To tell us apart, the people of my time are going to wear normal clothes while all of you wear your battle clothes. Oh yeah, Chester asked for you to stop by again when you have a chance."

"Thanks. I'll do that." I wave as I walk towards the bridge; behind me, I see the past-Cless go to help a group of people clean up the rubble.

Before the bridge, there's another destroyed building, and Milard's standing in front of it. I wonder what she's doing... I walk over. "Hey."

She turns around, finally noticing me. "Oh, hello Chester-kun. It's hard to believe that we traveled so far in time so quickly, don't you think?"

"Yeah..." Milard tried to warn me about Fenrir, right? And the runes from that weird dream... was that her doing? "You were trying to warn me, weren't you? About Fenrir..."

"I couldn't be certain, but I had overheard Auoun and Curt talking about her plans to trick you... Well, that's what it sounded like. It was correct, though, wasn't it?"

"Yeah... So then the runes in the dream..."

"Yes, that was me. Fenrir was trying to trick you into going over to their side, so I tried to oppose her and show you the truth. Sometimes I wonder if I wasted my efforts... maybe I should've gone to someone more trusting..."

"Hey, I've learned! I can trust people! Besides, it was only me and Suzu who could've saved Klarth!"

Milard giggles.

"What's so funny?!"

"You really _are_ starting to catch on... Anyway, even if we can travel through time, we can't change what happened there. It'd create more problems than it'd fix, and we've all come out of it all right. Still... I'm glad that you're learning from your mistake."

"Yeah. I won't fall for any more tricks!"

"It's not that easy to do, Chester-kun. Especially with a tricky goddess like Fenrir... though much of that _was_ your fault... I'm not saying that you should doubt everyone—trust is a good quality as well."

"Then how will I know who's trying to trick me and who isn't? I trust all of you, but wouldn't it be better not to trust anyone else?"

"Just when I thought you were getting better... Listen, Chester, that kind of thinking pushed you away from us to begin with. Keep the ideas of what people could do open, but don't reject new people, either. Try and look at situations with an open mind instead of blindly rushing in."

"But then how am I supposed to tell who's trying to trick me and who's not?" I don't understand at all!

"Follow your heart, that's the best thing to do. We all fall for tricks, it can't be helped. Klarth and I believed the Gimlis were on our side... You need to be more aware of all points of view and, most of all, trust your friends. Sometimes we may notice things you don't."

"I still don't really know what to do..."

"I guess what's best is... don't believe everything people say, but don't give up on trusting them, either," Milard explains. "Try to look at them from another perspective and judge whether they're telling the truth."

"I don't fully understand... but I'll try."

"Choose who you trust with care. If you need any help judging a person, you can always come to me."

I grin. "Thanks, I might take you up on that offer. Well, I should get going. I need to see what the other Chester wanted." She waves and I head on towards the bridge. It's in pretty bad shape... While there's enough room to cross steadily, large chunks of it are completely missing in places. Standing on it, staring blankly at the water running below, is the Cless from my time.

"Hey Cless," I say as I walk over and stand next to him.

"Chester..."

"What were you thinking about?"

"Well, it's just that... this town is different now, but somehow, it's still the same as when we grew up here... It's really strange when I remember my past and then think that this is long before that, before we were born..."

I stare down at the water. "Yeah, I know what you mean..." I grin; it's about time I show him I got my memory back! "Remember that time we tried to make a toy rocket?"

"Haha, that was a disaster! Ah, wait... you remember!"

"Yeah. I got my memory back when I died."

"What about the time you pushed Ami's snowman down? She was so mad about that!"

"Heh, yeah, I remember that. It was early and I didn't want to be out in the cold!" I argue in my defense. I was young at the time... "And then there was the time you tried to use my bow and somehow broke it..."

"Yeah, you make archery look so easy!" Cless says with a laugh. "Though when you first tried to use a sword, you broke my TV."

"I did?" I don't... oh yeah, I remember that now... "Oh right, I did..."

"It looks like your memory's still a bit spotty," my best friend points out. "Still... I'm glad you got your memory back!" His smile fades for a minute.

"Something wrong?"

"Ah, well... I'm sorry about what I did to you... to make you lose your memory and all..."

"You idiot!" I can't believe this guy! "You didn't do anything! Odin was controlling you—what happened wasn't your fault!"

"I should've been able to fight it..."

"It was the first time that happened, right? How were you supposed to know?!" I point out. "Stop blaming yourself for everything! You've done that ever since we were little... You don't have to take punishment for everything."

"Yeah, I suppose... I'll work harder. I won't let anything like that happen again... I'm going to protect all of you!"

"Yeah, same. We'll find a way for you and Dad to fight Odin!"

"All right. Let's work hard!" Cless agrees. "Oh, I saw Klarth-san go to the item shop earlier... He seemed a little... I dunno, nervous? Anyway, you should probably go talk to him."

"Thanks, I'll do that. First I need to see what the other Chester wanted, though..." I wave and head on towards Cless' house. Inside, I find one of the Mints sitting at the table. She's wearing the healing clothes, so this is the one from my time, right? She's reading a book of some sort. "Hey Mint."

"Ah, hello. How are you feeling, Chester-san?"

"Great, thanks. I never realized now nice gravity feels before!" I joke.

"What was it like being a ghost?"

"It was kinda weird... I could float everywhere as easily as walking... Heh, I probably could've flown with Arche... but no one could see me or hear me, so I suppose it wouldn't have made a difference."

"So you were watching us?"

"Yeah, for a little while. You caught me just in time with that resurrection spell. How does it work exactly...?"

"Resurrection is a complicated spell... I could only pull it off with the other Mint's help. I'm reading about it now... It uses a unicorn's horn—humans alone could never pull of such a spell. It only works if the body's in good condition for the spirit and if the spirit is still around... Plus there are all of the spell components, which are a lot more complicated than any of the spells I know so far..."

"Wow, it sounds hard to cast magic!"

"It is. Healing magic flows through my body and into another, so it's probably easier than what Klarth-san and Arche-chan do... I still have to be careful of the amount of mana I use, though, among other things."

"I think I get the picture... So you could resurrect anyone with this new spell, then? Well, as long as their spirit sticks around and their body's in good shape..."

"No. There's a time limit, which I'm studying now. On top of that, the person has to _want_ to return to life... If someone opposes it, then we cannot force their spirit to come back to their body. There are some other limitations, but I'm not quite there yet..."

"Heh, keep studying, then. I'm sure you'll get it down! We'll be counting on you for support, Mint," I encourage her.

"Thank you! I'll do my best!" So that's how resurrection really works... "...Ah, Chester-san? Is something wrong?"

"I was just thinking..."

"About what?"

"Ly—I mean, Fenrir. I thought she died at the castle and that we had to resurrect her, but I guess the truth was that she never really died... We saw her as a wolf soon after that, so she _couldn't_ have died."

"It's rare that humans get resurrected. You should consider yourself lucky."

"I am. Thanks again, Mint. I won't throw this life away, I promise." I'm going to do better, for everyone... This life was given to me by my friends, and I'm not giving it up, no matter what!

"Oh that's right, wasn't the other Chester looking for you?"

"Oh yeah! Where is he?"

"He's in that room," she answers as she points to the door behind her. "The other Mint has some food for you in the kitchen if you're hungry." For that one, she points to a door on the left.

I thank her and enter the door. It looks to be a bedroom... There are three beds in here along with two dressers and one mirror. Other than that, it's a pretty plain room made of wood. There's one door on the left side of the room, most likely a closet. My double's in there working, folding up clothes for the orphans. He's wearing a white T-shirt and blue pants. "Hey, you wanted to see me?"

He turns around, finally noticing me. "Hey Chester. Wow, you're even more of a mess than I thought!"

I am? I stare down at my clothes. Oh, yeah, they're all ripped up and covered in dried blood... "Oh..."

He nods to some clothes on the bed that look exactly like what I'm wearing and says, "Take those. You need them more than I do. You can change in the closet."

"Thanks." I walk into the closet, closing the door behind me, and change in to the newer clothes. This feels a lot better... they're not ripped everywhere. I walk back out as he finishes and sits down on a bed. Noticing a trashcan just outside the door, I dump my old clothes in. "I guess it's a good thing we're the same size."

The other Chester grins. "Yeah, and the same person!" We both pause for a second; he's the first to break the silence: "So what's with this Fenrir person you guys were talking about earlier?"

"She's a goddess of deception... and my ex-girlfriend."

"Your ex... Did you love her?"

"I'm not sure anymore... I liked being close to her, but..." I shrug. "Oh well. She was nice. I don't really know what love is... I suppose when I find the right girl, I'll know. Until then, I might as well have fun with the others, right? As long as they're not trying to kill me like Fenrir..." Wait a second... Mint's taken by Cless, Milard by Dad...

"What about Arche?"

I gape at him as he looks down, embarrassed. "What _about_ her?! She's annoying—you know that, don't you?!"

"Yeah, but... I'd be bored without her," concludes my past self as he leans back on the bed. "It's fun making fun of her, and... I love her the way she is. I was scared that she'd change after a hundred years, but she's the exact same... I'm glad!"

Love...? "Are you sure it's love that you feel?"

"I know what you're thinking: 'how could I ever love Arche?' I used to think that, too... but as she was leaving this time period, I knew that she'd have to wait a hundred years; that she could find another man and get married before I was even born... it scared me. A lot can happen in a hundred years... but now that she's back, I'm going to do my best to make up for it."

"So you're serious, then..."

"Yeah. You should probably consider it some, too. Why don't you go see her?—your Arche, I mean. She's on the roof."

Arche... I'm not sure if I'm ready to do that yet after hearing what he said... "I'll visit her after I walk around some more."

Chester nods. "Understood. Well, I need to get back to work. See ya later." He stands up and walks out of the room. It's still so hard to believe... what he told me... I can't see myself with Arche, I just can't! We get along like fire and ice...

...I'm going to continue my walk for a little longer. Or maybe I should get something to eat... I _am_ quite hungry. I leave the bedroom and enter the kitchen. The Mint here is dressed in a pink sundress. It looks really nice on her... She's wearing white slippers and her usual gloves as well. Tch, Cless is lucky... he has a nice girl. ...In _far_ more ways than one...

"Ah, Chester-san! Are you hungry?" she asks, a kind smile spread across her face.

"Yeah." I take a seat at the dining table in the room. This one has chairs... all of which are empty. There looks to be one chair for each person here, including the orphans. Mint serves a hamburger, which I happily start eating. Wow, this is delicious! Mint's really good at cooking!

"Are you all right?"

"Of course. I'm alive now, right? I'm probably the only man in the world who can say something like that... Thanks, Mint."

The woman sits down across from me and giggles. "I'm glad you're okay now!" I continue eating, neither of us saying anything for a few minutes. "...They told me everything that's happened so far. Maybe it's not my place to say, being from a different time and all... but I'm worried about all of you."

"Once we get some rest and figure out a plan, we'll be fine," I assure her. "And you have a right to say it. Even if we're from completely different time periods, we're still all here, aren't we?"

"...Yes, you're right. Klarth-san tried to justify that once," she says with a gentle smile at the memory. "We're not all that different, are we? Our lives are pretty similar in both time periods."

"Oh yeah, Cless and I are best friends in both time periods, right?"

"Yes. And we all fight the same. T-though... I'm a princess in your time, right?"

"Yeah, an adopted one."

"What happened to my mother?!"

"She's still alive in our time. What about here...?"

Mint breathes easily. "I'm glad... she died in this time. It's good to know that she'll be alive again!"

Should I tell her that her future self doesn't know her mother? That might trouble her, though...

"Even if we have different lives in your time," continues the healer, "we're all still the same people, right?"

"Yeah."

"And we're all friends... Chester-san, I'll do what I can for all of you while you're here. Please let me know if you need anything."

"Right now, this food is the best thing ever," I compliment as I continue eating.

"Oh, I'm sure it isn't..."

"Are you kidding? This is amazing! Especially for a first meal after coming back to life!"

Mint turns away, her face as pink as her dress. "Oh stop it..." Heh, she's completely embarrassed! I'll have to remember that a little compliment goes a _long_ way with her! "There's more if you'd like!"

"How about another, then?" I ask as I grab the last bit and stuff it in my mouth. Mint grins as she stands up, swiftly grabbing my plate, and walks over to the counter. She serves up another hamburger, placing it in front of me. "Thanks, Mint." I begin eating again.

"Just as we're all the same... I'm sure this world is the same, even after two thousand years," the healer continues.

"Yeah, it is. Or at least, this area is... There are some differences, but it still looks so similar... Cless' house is even in the same spot. It's amazing..."

Neither of us say a word as we contemplate this fact. I'm the first one to speak; "You know, if I had died today, it wouldn't have changed anything... even if my spirit was in a different era, everything would've kept moving... The world's the same after two thousand years, but time doesn't stop moving for anyone. Every day it moves on..."

"It really makes us humans seem insignificant in this world, doesn't it?" the woman agrees. "But we _can_ make a difference. Cless-san showed me that... He fought for the sake of the people, so that no one would have to suffer any longer. Even when we found out Dhaos' true goals, Cless-san never gave up. He found a way to save Derris-Kharlan as well."

"The Mana Seed?"

"Yes. Speaking about Derris-Kharlan, I wanted to ask Dhaos how it's doing in your time. I guess I'll have time for that, though."

"Yeah. I don't think we're planning on leaving for at least a few days."

She nods. "Take your time. If any of you need anything, we're all here. Let's work together to save Aselia and Derris-Kharlan!"

"...Yeah!" I finish up the burger and thank her yet again. "Well, see you later, Mint!" She waves and I leave the kitchen. The other Mint is still reading in the next room... it's almost like deja'vu. I silently walk out of the building. Outside, I look up. Arche's on the roof... the Arche I know. ...I think I need a little more time before talking to her. I glance around the ruined city. My house doesn't look very good... Ah, Ami's over there, painting with the other kids. I walk over to my sister.

"Onii-chan! Look!" she shows me the painting they've been doing. The house isn't even completely rebuilt yet, but I suppose there's enough for the painting project.

"You're doing great, Ami."

"You should paint, too!"

I notice some paint brushes in a bucket next to them and grab one. Why not? I begin painting it a darker shade of brown. "So this is our house two thousand years ago..." It's kind of strange to think I'm working on building it so far in the past...

"Yep! And Klar—I mean, Dad's going to start living here too, right?"

"He better!" I tell my sister as I paint the wall. "We finally have a father again..."

"Heehee, yep! Now you don't have to work so much, Onii-chan!"

"Well, I'll still have to work some... we're not really starting out with much. Though I'm sure once Milard joins the family, we won't have to worry about money so much."

"Ehh? Milard-san?! Is she going to be our mom?!"

"Yeah. Just give it a few months or so... unless Dad's planning on waiting 'til after he turns thirty to get married. Haha, I'd never let him go for that!"

"Dad's planning on proposing to Milard-san? That'd be great—Milard-san would make a great mother! She's really kind!"

I grin. "Yeah, but don't tell anyone I told you that. Dad doesn't even know yet," I tell her jokingly. He's not exactly _planning_ anything, but...

"Huh?!"

"Never mind. Just don't tell, okay?"

"All right!" Ami continues making brush strokes on the wall. "Do you think he knows how to be a father...?"

"No. It's his first time, after all," I answer. "But I don't think anyone really goes into it knowing how, whether adopting or not. He'll figure out what to do with time."

"Yeah, you're right! Let's do our best to help him, Onii-chan!"

"Sure, as long as we get to trick him some, too!"

"Onii-chan, that's mean!"

"He's a father now. He needs to get used to it," I point out. "I'm going to go see how he's doing. Why don't you and the other kids keep painting?" As I say it, I take my brush and wipe it over my sister's nose. She stalls for a moment, surprised.

"Ah! Meanie!" she yells as she tries to get me with her own paint brush. I swiftly back up, holding my brush up in defense. I poke it at her and she draws away, not wanting me to get more paint on her. I quickly drop the brush back in the bucket, spin around, and start running for the bridge. I hear Ami yelling behind me... Ahahaha! That was priceless! Once on the other side of the bridge, I slow down and look back. Good, she didn't chase me... Heh heh, I love being the older brother!

On the other side of the bridge, they're working hard on a building in the center of this area of town. I notice the past-Arche here, dressed in pink shorts and a yellow tank-top. She still has many accessories—gloves, bracelets, earring, everything—making her as colorful as always. Maybe she won't notice me...

"Chester!" she calls as she waves to me. So much for that. Oh well, I suppose talking to this Arche won't be so bad... I walk over to her.

"Hey."

"You're the future-Chester, right?"

"Yeah. Helping to rebuild Miguel?"

"Of course! It's been a hundred and two years... I probably could've come sooner, but... doing so would've messed up time. So I waited, even gave it a few extra days..."

"You mean you remembered when to come even after a hundred years?" Amazing...

"Of course! I've been waiting to see everyone again! Though... a hundred years was a hard trial without them... I spent most of the time with Klarth-sensei, but... he's a human—he couldn't make it a hundred years..."

"It's hard to imagine... I've only been alive seventeen years, and that seems like forever already! But if I consider how old the world is, how old elves and half elves are... humans just can't last that long. It's kinda depressing."

"Yeah... I don't know what I'm going to do when yo—I mean, the other Chester—grows old and..."

"You'll still have to live for a couple hundred more years after that, right?"

"Yeah... so I'm going to spend every moment I can with them. Who knows, maybe in a couple hundred years I'll be able to come back in time somehow and visit them again!"

"...Was it hard to live so long without them?" I question.

"It was, but... I just kept every day exciting and kept my sight forward on when I'd see them again! It passed a lot quicker that way! Heehee, I have to show everyone the places I've found on Aselia and take them flying sometime!"

You know, I don't think I've ever really talked to Arche like this... "I guess it must be hard on a half elf with human friends... the Arche of my time will have to live with that, too... Luckily, we have enough technology in two thousand years that humans can live for longer. Probably not much longer, though..."

"Then spend what time you can with her! It's hard being alone for so long, unable to see your friends ever again..."

She's right... I never really thought about that before. What is Arche going through...? She's only seventeen in my time, right? If I had died, she would still have to live on for hundreds of years... and the past-Arche is scared of something happening to my past-self... I think I'll visit Arche after seeing Dad.

"Thanks. I'll go see her, then."

"All right. See you later, Chester!"

I wave and head on, past where she was working. Everything's being rebuilt, so the item shop may not be in the same place as where I know... Ah, there's Suzu. She's sitting on top of an unfinished house. I wonder what she's thinking about... "Hey Suzu."

"Hello."

I walk over. "It's quiet today, huh? Kinda nice after all we've been through..."

"Yes. And we're all alive..."

"That's right! We were able to do as Norn asked and save our friends... Now we just need to go back and show those gods what we're made of, right?"

She nods. "We still need to save Derris-Kharlan as well."

I sigh. "Norn's entrusting a lot to us, huh? Still... I won't let her down!"

"...Is that because you sincerely want to help her or because you don't like that the gods think you're weak?"

She hit it dead on... "I-it's none of your business!"

"Don't worry. I resent being called 'weak' as well. I'm going to show them that they shouldn't underestimate me!"

"Same! When we go back there, we'll..."

"We'll need to get stronger first. We should start learning more about the monsters we fight instead of just killing them. We'll ask Sensei to start teaching us again, about elements and weaknesses..."

"So you saw what happened to Odin, too, then?"

"Yes. He absorbed Arche's fire spell. We'll have to know how to combat that if we want to fight them. The more we learn, the better of we'll be."

"We should also train hard... Even if we end up just going straight back there, we have time, so we should get stronger."

"Just fighting them won't help either Aselia or Derris-Kharlan. We need to talk to Norn and Martel somehow..."

"Maybe we can talk to them in the past," I suggest. "Martel would be in Derris-Kharlan right now, so maybe we can go there to talk to her. Either that or just travel back in time a little farther..."

"Yes. Gathering information is very important for figuring out our next move. Try and find out as much as you can."

"Okay."

"And no matter what... remember what Mel and Dio taught us. We cannot afford to give in to the evil in our hearts again. We should also watch the others for the same..."

"...Your right. I won't let it happen again!" Well, it seems this conversation's over... "I'll talk to you more later, Suzu." She only nods as I walk away. Maybe I should've asked her where the item shop is... Oh well, there's no point in turning back now. Besides, Miguel's a lot smaller during this time period! This building that they're working on... this looks to be an inn. I guess we'll be staying here for the night... After I visit Arche, I'll come back and help.

Oh, there's Dhaos... I haven't talked to him at all yet. I wonder what he thinks about joining up with us... "Hey Dhaos."

"...Chester, right?"

"Yeah, that's me. So you're going to be joining us now, right?"

"...I don't really have much of a choice," he answers coldly. "I do not have the power to save Derris-Kharlan on my own."

"What's going to happen to your planet now?"

"Nothing if we save it. If not... the people there will suffer. ...Why are you so interested in Derris-Kharlan? It has nothing to do with you humans."

"I'm not going to let another planet die! That planet is where Lloyd, Kratos, Colette, and Zelos came from... I'm not going to let them lose their home."

"So, you've met them... Then you must also know why they traveled to Aselia."

"What do you mean?"

"After Derris-Kharlan was discovered by Aselian scientists, it's been marked as a place to get new resources from. Your people have been coming to steal from us for a while. Kratos first went down to study Aselia, which is when we learned about your plan," he explains. "The plan to take Martel back. We thought our best bet would be to find you 'Heroes of Space-Time' before the rest of Aselia did." He spits out our title with disdain. "I never knew you were such idiots..."

"If you don't want to work with us, then don't!" He's already getting on my nerves...!

"I don't want to, but I must... to save my people. You better not slow me down."

"Keh, don't take us for granted! We're a lot stronger than you could ever be!"

"Really? Didn't you die from that last battle?"

...I _really_ hate this guy! "I had lost a lot of energy! You know, you're working with us now, so you could at least _try_ being a little more kind!"

"Why do I need to be kind to you humans? I want to make this journey as short as possible. Do you know where your summoner is? I'd like to discuss a way to fix our dilemma."

"Why only him? The rest of us are involved as well!"

"He seems to be the only one smart enough to help."

"Why you...! If you don't want our help, then don't bother us!"

"I said... Never mind. I needn't explain myself to a human like _you_."

"Keh! You shouldn't underestimate us! We'll show you how strong we really are—you just watch!" Ow! I think I pulled something... I'm still weak from that last battle and being dead...

"...You're not getting very far like that."

"Oh shut up! It's not like you made it in time!"

His glare turns even colder than it already was. "How dare you... what do you know, worthless human?"

"You wanna fight?!"

"Already challenging me? I knew humans were rash, but this is ridiculous... You're barely alive as you are. Sorry, I don't feel like picking on the weak."

"I'm going to make you pay for saying that!" I try to punch him, but he swiftly moves out of the way and I stumble right by him and—ow, I hit the ground...

"I don't have time for your games. I'm going to find that summoner." He walks away. I _really really_ hate that guy! He's worse than Arche! I'm... I'm not going to let him get away with saying those things! I'll show him how good I am...! That stupid Dhaos...

Oh right, what Cless said about Dad... I need to find him before Dhaos does! I start running passed the building Arche's working on and up a set of stairs. There I see him doing business with a merchant... there's no actual shop here, just someone selling items. "Dad..." He turns around, startled.

"Ah, Chester. How are you feeling?"

"Eh, fine as long as I don't have to put up with Dhaos."

My father chuckles. "Don't worry, there are enough of us that you don't have to talk to him." He pauses, considering his next words; I beat him to it: "So what's it like being a father now?"

"I haven't really done much, so I'll have to get back to you on that one. It _does_ feel kind of different, though, having to think of taking care of two children now... well, a child and a teenager. Chester, I..." He looks troubled by something... but what...? "...I'm going to be the best father I can be. I may stumble some along that path, so..."

That's right...! His own father... "You're not like your father," I assure him, which shocks him.

"How do you—"

"We saw him. We saw him at Heimdall... That man is a terrible father. He acted like you were a mere tool to him... That man doesn't deserve to even be called a father."

"He's your grandfather now, you realize."

"That man is of no relation to us! We have a family—he doesn't deserve to be a part of it!"

"Chester... he's my father..."

_"I'm worried that I'll become like him..."_ Dad said that... when Suzu and I were watching the vision with the Narikiri costumes on... Is _that_ what he's so worried about? "So what if he's your father?! You're nothing like him! You care about me and Ami, even if we're not your real children... It doesn't matter who you're related to by blood, but who you _care_ about, right?!"

"...Yeah, you're right."

"I know you're going to be a great father for us!"

"Hm, well, I didn't exactly grow up in a normal family... so what is a father supposed to do?"

He's asking _me_ that? Oh I'm going to have _fun_ with this... "Well first of all, you have to pay for _everything_... including giving me an allowance. And you have to keep the house clean... Then you also have to take care of Ami and play with her all the time, _especially_ when I bring girls over... keep her out of the way then. And there doesn't need to be a curfew or a bedtime. Oh yeah, and you should keep some extra alcohol in the house!"

Dad folds his arm over his chest and stares at me. "...And just how much of that do you expect me to believe?"

"Aww, you don't believe any of it?" I joke.

"Do you realize how that sounds, Chester? The girls would kill you if they heard you talking like that..."

"Good thing none of them are around. Besides, it doesn't concern any of them anyway—I wouldn't want Arche over all night, and Cless would kill me if I tried with Mint."

"Onii-chan, Dad," a quiet voice pipes up from behind me. "What are you talking about?"

"Ah... ah! A-Ami! Nothing!" Bad timing... Ack, Milard's here, too! "M-Milard!"

Milard shakes her head. "I can't believe you... I thought you were better than that, Chester-kun."

"I-it wasn't what you're thinking! I didn't mean for it to come out that way!"

"W-wait! What about me?! I didn't even say anything!" Dad argues.

"I know you too well, Klarth."

"What's _that_ supposed to mean?!"

"Milard-san, should I tell the others about this?" Ami asks innocently.

"No, Ami, don't!"

"Well he _did_ paint your nose earlier..."

"Yeah... Onii-chan always picks on me!"

"Hey, Ami! Don't tell anyone about this, okay? For your big brother?"

"Heehee, what will you do for me?" my sister asks deviously. Where did she _learn_ this from?! ...Oh, I guess that'd be me...

"Okay, okay! I'll get you ice cream or something!"

"And then you're going to pick on me again... I know! Why don't you teach me how to fight?" She glances up at me with hopeful eyes.

"NO! We're sending you home as soon as possible!" I argue.

"Oh well, I guess I'll just have to tell the others what I heard..."

I don't believe this... I'm being bribed by my eleven-year-old sister! "Fine, but only enough so you can defend yourself! You got that?! You're not getting in any danger!"

"Yaaaay! I'll do my best, Onii-chan!"

"Hey, Milard, should I have stopped this?" Dad asks.

"Don't worry, I think this was best left between the two of them."

Gee, _thanks_! "You know what? Let's _never_ talk about this again..."

"Okay!"

"I won't say a word," promises Milard, sounding pleased.

"So I go from babysitting Chester and Arche to taking care of Chester and Ami... just what did I sign myself up for...?"

I laugh; "Get used to it—you're a father now!"

"Somehow, the way you said that scares me..." Dad smiles at us. "Well, at least it'll be interesting living with you two... Anyway, I should get back to stocking up on supplies. There's no telling what we'll need when we set out again, and we have to make sure we can carry everything..."

"Right, I'll let you handle that. Besides..." ...I need to go see how Arche's doing now...

"I'll help you, Klarth," offers Milard.

"I'm going to get back to painting now! Bye!" Ami waves and runs off through the village. I, too, wave and then follow in her general direction; however, I'm going to Cless' house. The only question is how am I going to get up on the roof...?

Oh, looks like that won't be such a problem... someone set a ladder so it's leaning on the house. Did the other Chester do that, or was it here for the rebuilding? I grab on to the rungs of the ladder and begin climbing up.

There she is... Arche's lying on the roof, staring up at the sky with her broom next to her. I can't see her face at all—she's turned away from me. I hoist myself on to the roof, and the noise alerts her of my presence. She sits up and turns around to face me. "Oh, Chester..."

"Hey," I greet as I walk over. "Mind if I sit down?"

"Huh? Oh! Go ahead."

I sit down next to the half elf and stare out over the town. Everyone's working so hard to rebuild it... Arche lies back down and I stare at her. "Is something on your mind?"

She turns her angry rosy eyes towards me. "Idiot!"

"Wait, what'd I do?!"

"You went and _died_! That's the second time we thought you were dead! Make up your _mind_ already! Are you going to live or die?! I'm tired of all of this suspense!"

"Why do you care?! You hate me, don't you?!"

"Idiot! What would I do if—" She stops abruptly and turns away from me. So it really _is_ the same for the two Arches...

"You'd keep living for another five hundred years or so and eventually forget about me."

"I doubt it. Your stupidity seems to follow me," she quips.

"Well it doesn't matter anymore, does it? I'm alive now..."

"And how long before you die again?" she asks dryly. "One day? Two?"

I can't even talk to her without her sass! "Would you rather me still be dead? Then maybe we wouldn't annoy each other—is that it?"

She snaps; her broom hits my face with enough force to knock me down. Oww, that hurt!

"Why are you always such a jerk?! You don't know how I feel—you could never understand! You didn't watch someone die for you! You haven't gotten news of anyone dying twice! You haven't—ow, I bit my tongue..." She mutters the last bit with a wince.

"You're right, I haven't—you're obnoxious enough not even death wants you," I tell her sarcastically.

"This isn't a joke, Chester!"

"Aww, do you actually care?"

"This isn't a joke!"

"Sorry, did I hurt your feelings?" Heh, she's seething... maybe soon she'll stop sulking!

"I said this isn't a joke! You're not a cat—you don't have nine lives! So stop wasting what ones you _do_ have!"

"I'm not wasting them. I'm spending them the way I want—and right now, that's simply relaxing in the sun," I tell her as I lay down, putting my hands behind my head.

She sits up again. "Why are you always so irritating?!"

"I don't know, why are you always so loud?" I answer. She glares at me, stubborn tears forcing themselves into her eyes. Arche... "Why don't you just say 'welcome back' or something like that? Geez... you're the strangest girl I've _ever_ met..."

"And you're too stubborn from your own good..." She turns her face away and I see a hand go up to it. Arche... she actually cried when I died... and she tried to make them pay, using a spell... I still remember her furious face as she cast it...

Something in my chest beats harder—my heart? Why does it do this sometimes when I'm around her...?

"You're not going to die again, are you?"

"I'm not planning on it."

She falls silent. Arche... I yawn before saying, "Idiot... I'm alive now, and I'm not dying again... Not for a long time." The sun's really bright... I close my eyes.

"Liar. You said you wouldn't die last time."

"I came back, didn't I?"

"Because of the Mints! Ah... Chester?"

"...What?"

"Are you..."

"I'm just tired," I answer with another yawn. I _do_ feel really tired... It feels really nice lying here... with the wind and...

"You should go to bed if you're tired."

"I'll go to bed in a few minutes," I mutter. "First I... want to make sure you're... all right..." Did I say that out loud or just think it? I wasn't paying attention—I hope I didn't say it out loud...

"Chester..."

"Hm?"

"Haha, looks like you actually _do_ think of others every now and then!"

Ack, I said it out loud. "Hey, what do you mean by 'actually'?!" I demand as I open one eye to stare at her. "_I__'m_ not the one who's thrown spells at my allies."

"And I'm not the one who was trying to kill my best friend," Arche quips.

I close my eye again. "I at least thought he was our enemy..."

"Yeah, well, you—"

"I'm too tired to argue this," I mutter. "Let's just agree that you're dangerous."

"Let's _not_," she argues. "After all, Cless says that you're good at getting yourself in dangerous relationships. I'd _hate_ to end up with you."

Ouch. She has a point, but... "If you hate me that much, then why did you care that I died?"

"Because I don't hate you, you idiot!" Arche yells. "Ah, um... I-I mean..."

So there's the truth... It's just as everyone said... "I don't hate you, either."

"Eh?!"

"You're fun to pick on, though."

"Jerk."

"Obnoxious."

I feel so tired... but I'm not going to fall asleep quite yet... I'm not...

**Chester gained the title of Studious Man. It is a title given to one who learns from his mistakes and keeps moving forward.**

**Chester gained the title of Liar. Whether in joke or not, lying is his specialty!**** It is a title given to him by Klarth and Arche.**


	34. Trusted Friend

**Also, please welcome Sardon H. Lester and Cathy Lester! And their cat Trinedy! They're a pair of ****OCs**** I made... If****, in the ****GBA**** version of the game (don't know about the others, since I've only played the ****GBA**** version),**** you go to the top right house and Euclid in the present time, you'll find their house... and a woman and a cat. Cathy and Trinedy were based off of the woman and cat, while Sardon was probably downstairs (I added a door) working on an experiment... ****Heh.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of Phantasia. It is owned by Namco.**

**--****Trusted Friend****--**

_"You who are able to love a half elf... Do you not fear the rash nature of humans paired with the magic of elves?"_ It's a woman's voice, but not one I recognize... I seem to be standing in a forest...

What are you talking about...? Who are you...?

_"Or is it that you see the good in her? What if she makes an irreversible mistake with that power? Could you still see __her the__ same? Could a human like you understand the fear in my heart?"_

Hey, slow down a minute! Who the heck are you?! You're not Fenrir...

_"I am known as Heimdall."_

Heimdall?! That's the last of the gods...! Why are you talking to me?! Fenrir said you don't like getting involved with humans—so what do you want?! And why'd you choose me?!

_"I can feel the pains on your heart... You are like me. I once knew not who I could trust... I once had to fight the people I wanted to trust. ...What would you do to save the world?"_

You're planning on using me to reach your own goals, right? Just like the others...

_"Can you blame them for wanting to save Aselia? Go to the land of the elves—find Brambert. He'll help you... if you want to know what to do about Martel, you'll need to know how to talk to her. The elves have records of a girl who talked to her... __Kalinthra of Heimdall.__ You'll also be able to find information on magitechnology and the kingdoms of Heimdall, Odin, Fenrir, and Thor."_

Kingdoms?! Each god once had a kingdom?!

_"Go there..."_

I hear a door close softly and open my eyes. I'm in the inn now... who moved me here? There are no beds, so we're all wrapped up in blankets on the floor, the boys on one side and the girls on the other. There's one empty bed... did someone get up? Who...? Ah! Dad's missing...! Where'd he go?! I get up and walk over to the door, where our weapons are resting. I sling my quiver over my back and grab my bow; then I gently open the door and edge my way out into the village. There's light from the sun—it's just rising. Where did Dad go...?

There he is. He's leaving the village through the southern exit... I sneak behind him, using the trees of the forest to hide me. I wonder where he's going at this time... He suddenly stops, and I watch from behind a tree.

"Come out. I know you're there," Dad says. Ack, I guess my cover failed... "What do you want with us, Odin?" Wait, Odin?!

Odin walks out of the bushes on the opposite side of Dad, looking exactly the same as when we left him. What's he doing here?! "You actually came. I'm impressed."

"What do you want? You succeeded in your mission, didn't you? Everyone knows your tricks now, so you'll get nowhere by trying to use me again."

"I thought I told you to come alone..."

"What? But I did..." Dad spins around and I quickly throw myself out of his vision, completely behind the tree. "Chester!"

"That boy is Fenrir's toy, isn't he?"

How dare he...! I notch an arrow on my bow and jump out of my hiding spot, aiming at Odin. "Don't you _dare_ call me that!"

"Chester, wait!"

I release the arrow and it flies straight for Odin's chest. Just before hitting him, it disintegrates on a barrier or something. Darn... I pull out another arrow and take aim. If I use a skill with this one, maybe I can break through... "Let's take care of this one now, Dad!" I begin concentrating ice energy into the arrow... ugh, I feel light headed...

"You're not fully recovered yet!"

"'Dad'? So, you've adopted, Klarth? I'm surprised..." Odin stares at me. "A family... Very well, let's make this more interesting..." Odin closes his eyes and then falls to the ground. What's he doing?!

Wait, what's going on?! My arms are moving on their own... aiming the arrow at Dad! I can't move... I can't control what my body's doing!

"N-no! Let him go, Odin!" Dad yells. More energy is going into the arrow... I feel dizzy now... Dad...

The arrow slips from my grip and flies towards my father, charged with more ice than I've ever seen. He takes a step back and holds his book up in defense, which turns into a block of ice. My fingers grab another arrow and notch it on my bow. Odin...! Get out of my body!

_"Not until I kill Klarth."_

Why do you want to kill us?!

_"It has nothing to do with you. My grudge with him is personal."_

What?!

The arrow flies, missing Dad by a long shot. Um, Odin, you can't aim.

_"Shut up. I don't use bows and arrows..."_

Then what's the point of taking my body if you can't use my weapon? I don't carry any others. Heh heh...

_"In that case... I'll just combine some of your power with mine..."_ My hands aim another arrow at Dad, but fire charges in this one. Uhn... I don't feel so well again... The arrow flies, its fire shooting out in all directions.

"Undine!" Water pours down heavily over the area, killing the fire before it reaches my father. I hear Odin's voice yelp before I fall to the ground—I throw my hands out in front of me to catch myself. H-hey! I have control of my body again! "Chester!" Dad runs over to me and offers a hand to help me up. I take it—my hand aches—and he pulls me to my feet; we then turn to face Odin.

"So that's how it'll be..." mutters the god. "Fine. Next time I come, I won't be alone."

"You mean you came on your own? I thought you were left behind," quips Dad.

"Shut up! I'm not always left behind!"

"Oh really? Even when we were kids, you got left behind a lot."

Odin fumes. Haha, nice one, Dad!

Fire erupts around us, throwing both me and my father back in its fury. I hit the ground hard. Ow... it hurts to move... Maybe I shouldn't pick fights right after I come back from the dead...

"Chester, are you all right?" Dad asks as he leans over me.

"Yeah... where's Odin?" I pick myself up to see that he's not here anymore.

"That was his goodbye from the looks of it. Too bad it wasn't his final goodbye... Let's head back."

I nod and stand up, feeling a little dizzy.

"Are you sure you're okay? You shouldn't fight when you're so low on energy."

"Yeah, thanks for the warning..."

"I _did_ try to stop you, remember? Or have you lost more memory?"

"Shut up! I got my memory back!" I yell.

"You did? When?"

"When I died."

"That's an interesting time to get your memory back... Well, I'm glad you got it back." He smiles at me and we start walking back to the village.

"Hey Dad, when Odin was in my head, he said that his grudge against you was personal... Did something happen in the past to make him hate you?"

"Hm, that's a good question... Not that I can remember. And I've never lost my memory, either..."

"Enough with the amnesia jokes! I have my memory back now!"

"Either way, I don't think I've ever done anything to make Odin hate me this much... Well, except recently, when he started controlling my body... I was purposely annoying him then. Still, that'd be more of his fault than mine."

"Maybe he doesn't like your personality?" I suggest.

"What's wrong with my personality? I have a _splendid_ personality—how could that repel anyone?"

"Oh I don't know, maybe that _ego_ of yours..."

"My ego keeps me from falling for tricks," Dad combats wickedly.

"Hey, how'd this turn into another stab at me?!" I demand, making my father laugh.

"Klarth-san! Chester-san!" Mint calls as she and Cless run over to us.

"Where were you two?!" demands the swordsman.

"We went for a morning walk," Dad explains simply. "Is something wrong?"

"No, we were just worried about you two... You should be careful; the two of you lost the most energy in that last battle."

"You worry too much, Cless," I tell my best friend. "We're just fine."

"...Then why do you look like you're about to collapse?"

I do?

"Odin followed us to this time. He'll probably come back with Thor and Fenrir... we should leave this village before then."

"Where do you suggest we go, Klarth-san?"

Where to next... Oh right! "That's right, I almost forgot! I had an odd dream... or more of a conversation. Heimdall contacted me."

"Heimdall? The last of the gods is entering this as well?!" demands Dad. "This is bad... what did he say to you?"

"Heimdall's a girl, actually," I correct him. "And she said—"

"A girl? This won't turn into another Fenrir thing, will it?"

"Shut up! I'm not having any more relationships with goddesses!"

"Even if they seem nice?" Cless asks.

"Even if they seem nice."

"Even if they're pretty?"

"Even if they're pretty."

"I saw your eyes shift on that one..."

"I'm allowed to look!" I argue. "Don't you like looking at pretty girls, Cless?" Haha, he's turning red!

"Chester-san, Cless-san, I never knew you'd stoop so low..." mumbles Mint as she averts her eyes. Ack, I forgot about Mint!

"W-wait! Let me explain!"

"H-hold on! I didn't say anything!"

"Ah, to be young again..." my father mutters with a chuckle.

Cless sighs. "Klarth-san, I don't see what's so humorous about this... Anyway, what did Heimdall tell you, Chester?"

"She said to find Brambert in the land of the elves. We can learn more about Martel and the kingdoms of Heimdall, Odin, Fenrir, and Thor from some records the elves have... records of a girl named Kalinthra. What do you think? It might be a trap..."

"I know a little about those civilizations... I taught all of you about them in my class," Dad says. "There was a war between them roughly four thousand years ago—well, two thousand now. They used powerful magitech in the war—Thor led the way, followed closely by Odin. Only Heimdall stayed away from magitech. Meteors hit Thor, sinking it... the other two kingdoms were destroyed by a group of mysterious people. After that incident, the towns became smaller, and the people stayed away from magitechnology for a while. It was like a regression in technology... That's what our records show us, anyway."

There he goes, on a tangent about history... At least it's not magic; I remember him rambling for hours on theories about magic... "So what does this mean to us?"

"I'm not fully sure. Though it intrigues me that the civilizations and the gods share the same name..."

"Should we research this, then?" questions the princess.

"Yeah. It's the only lead we have right now..."

"I trust Brambert," the swordsman declares. "I saw him in my memories of my past life, my life in this time... He was—is—a great man... He helped us out a lot before, and he'll accept half elves."

"Then it's settled. We'll head to Heimdall next. Let's have breakfast and tell the others about the plan," Dad suggests. We agree and head back into the village of Miguel, towards Cless' house. When we arrive, we find that the past-Mint has already cooked eggs. We join the rest of the group, including our other selves, around the table in the living room.

"This is really good, Mint!" says the past-Cless, which causes everyone to agree.

"Oh stop it..." mumbles Mint, embarrassed.

"Hey Mint, think you can teach me this recipe?" questions the witch of the past.

"Of course!"

"I wouldn't do that if I were you, Mint..." my other self pipes up. "Arche'll find _some_ way to mess it up!"

"Hey! It's been a hundred years since you last tried my cooking!"

"I bet it's just as lousy as before! What sort of things have you come up with this time? Yogurt omelets? Orange chicken? Bitter cake?"

"Ew... those don't sound right..." mutters the past-Cless.

"I'm scared to ask, but what did she cook last time...?" Dad questions.

"Melon bread."

...Hey wait, I remember that memory! That's the first memory I got with my powers! Ugh, that taste was horrible...

"No wonder..."

"Hey! I was experimenting!"

"'Experimenting'? More like creating a disaster!" jokes Chester.

"Fine! I'm cooking dinner for everyone tonight! I'll show you how good my cooking's gotten!"

"Hey Cless, Mint, what do ya say about going out to eat in Euclid tonight?"

"HEY!" The half elf slams her fist down on the table as she screams at my other self, who's grinning wildly. He laughs and wraps his arm around her shoulders; I turn my gaze away. This just isn't right... this isn't right at all.

"So what are your plans?" past-Cless asks us.

"We're going to Heimdall, the land of the elves," Dad explains. "We might be able to find out more about Martel there."

"T-the land of the elves?" the half elf of my time stutters.

"We're going to find Brambert there. Don't worry, Arche, I'm sure he'll understand you," Cless assures her with a smile.

"And just what are we searching for in this elven place?" questions Dhaos.

"Records of a girl who talked to Martel. It's not much of a lead, but we might figure out what to do next. We still have the ship from our time, right, Chester?"

I check my pockets—ah, there's the capsule... "Yeah."

"Good. Then it won't take us long to get there. We should leave early before Odin returns."

"Odin's here?!" Milard demands.

"Yeah. He followed us... he may return with Fenrir and Thor."

"But how'd he know where to find us?" questions the ninja.

"I don't know..."

"How do you know these records are reliable?" the angel asks coldly.

"We don't," I pipe up. "The goddess of the elves told me to go there, so it could be a trap... but we have no other lead."

"Brambert's a great person," past-Mint says. "So is Arsia... they live just outside of the Ymir Forest."

"We'll set out after breakfast, then," my father declares.

"Dad, Onii-chan, can you teach me how to fight on our way?" Ami asks hopefully.

"Tch, I told you to stay out of the way, girl!" snaps Dhaos.

"Hey! Leave Ami alone!" I yell.

"She can't even fight. She's just a burden."

"Why you...!"

"I'll do my best to learn how to fight!" my sister declares cheerfully.

"Yes, I need to learn more as well," agrees Milard. "It'd be best for us to all learn more. Klarth, did you bring any of your books with you?"

"I'm afraid not... None of them were in the pack." Whoops, I guess that'd be my fault...

"I know where you can get some of your—I mean, the other Klarth-sensei's—research books!" offers the Arche of the past. "They should be with his great-grandson or something like that... I've lost track. Anyway, you can find him in Euclid! ...I think..."

"My great-grandson... Is this supposed to be my past or my future?" Dad asks dryly.

"Who did Dad marry?" Heh heh, he's already starting to turn pink...

"Milard! It was a really nice wedding, too! Milard was so pretty for it!"

Hahaha! Now both Dad _and_ Milard are red! "Did they get married before Dad turned thirty?"

"Nope! He married old! But they had kids not long after it..." The witch of the past grins deviously at my father and Milard. Dad tries to hide his face in his hat, playing with his food, while Milard glances away.

"U-um, Arche-chan..." the woman stutters. "You must be mistaken..." Heh heh... this is a lot of fun!

"Like you're one to talk," my past-self speaks up. "You're what, 119 years old?"

"I'm young for a half elf!" Arche yells in defense. "I still have hundreds of years to go!"

"Chester must like older women..." one of the Clesses mutters.

"And dangerous ones..." the other agrees.

"Shut up!" both me and the other Chester yell.

"Before we head out," the future-Mint finally speaks up, "should we give the rest of the group nicknames?"

"Huh? Nicknames?" Ami asks for the clueless people. The rest of us exchange excited grins.

"Yeah, we gave each other animal nicknames!" Arche explains. "We gave you one, too, Cless! You were asleep at the time!"

"Really? What am I, then?"

"You're a steed," I tell him.

Dad chuckles. "That really _does_ fit him... What are the rest of you, then?"

"I'm a sparrow, Chester's a fox, Arche's a weasel, and Mint's a dove."

"Accurate..." mumbles both Clesses. I think we've _all_ stopped questioning the fact that we think like our past selves by now...

"What should Klarth-sensei be... maybe a kitty!"

"No. Definitely not," the summoner protests.

"Why not? You seem like a cat to me!" I joke.

"Yeah, _Dad_," quips the other Chester.

"Now wait a minute, I only adopted two kids. How'd I end up with three?"

"I think a cat would fit you perfectly. You're stubborn and playful enough for one," Milard agrees with us.

"I really don't think a cat fits me... maybe something bigger?"

"A tiger!" the half elf from my era yells. "You have all of those weird markings, after all..."

"Then it's settled!"

"Yeah, Klarth-san is like a tiger!"

"Dad's a tiger!"

"So a tiger and a fox... what's Ami, then?" I question.

"This is turning out to be an odd family..." mutters the other Chester, which is exactly what I was thinking.

"Maybe a pup to be like her brother?" suggests the dove.

"Ami-chan reminds me more of a bunny..." the weasel argues.

"She even has the pigtails for one," I mutter sarcastically.

"A tiger, a fox, and a rabbit... how exactly does that work out?"

"Don't bother making logic of it—you're a history teacher, not a biology teacher."

My little sister giggles. "What are Milard-san and Dhaos-san?"

"Dhaos-_san_?! Don't bother adding an honorific to his name—he's been rude to you this whole time," I snap.

"Now who's the one being rude?" quips the cold angel.

"Shut up!"

"And I do not want to be included in this silly game."

"Dhaos reminds me of a snake..." mutters Cless.

"I told you not to include me!"

"Yeah, I can see that."

"That makes our first reptile... it fits him, too," I say with a grin; the snake glares at me.

"I can see you two are getting along great," Dad says sardonically.

"Chester, Dhaos, save the arguing for the enemies," the steed scolds us. Upon consideration, he adds, "That goes for Chester and Arche as well."

How'd I get put in there twice?! "Keh, fine."

"So then what should I be?" Milard asks. Everyone thinks about this... What _should_ Milard be?

"A meerkat," the ninja suggests. "Meerkats are curious creatures that take care of the alpha's young."

"Er..." Huh? What does she mean by _that_...?

"I don't really understand, but... I think a meerkat fits me!"

"Yay! Everyone has an animal!" cheers my sister.

"Mission: success!" agrees the witch.

"That was pointless..." mutters Dhaos.

"So, why don't we head up to Venezia? We can use their port to board the ship and then sail to Heimdall. Thank you for the breakfast, Mint." My father stands up, helping the Mints to clean the table. The rest of us clean our plates and then begin gathering our things.

"Be careful out there, Chester. I don't wanna die again!" my past self jokes with a grin.

"Don't worry, Chester, I won't kill you again!" The others laugh as we shake hands, both grinning wildly.

"Here." Past-Arche hands a sheet of paper to Dad. "This is the address of your great-grandson. His name is Sardon H. Lester."

"Thanks. Take care—and if you see Odin and the other gods, give them our regards."

"Of course!" the half elf of the past says a little _too_ sweetly...

"Well then, we're off. Goodbye!" Our past selves see us off, and we leave the village through the north exit. Back to traveling... I thought we'd be done with that after saving Dad. We head across the familiar-looking plains... it's hard to believe that we're two thousand years in the past! But while things look similar, the difference is still obvious... it's hard to explain. There are things that are different, whether it's plants, wildlife, trails... Still, I can tell the path towards Euclid.

We walk through the canyon that separates Miguel from Euclid... Even this looks a little different now... Ah! Monsters! I quickly pull my bow around in front of me, notching an arrow to it, as I aim at one of the three falcons above. I release and the arrow goes straight through one.

"Fire Ball!"

"Wind Blade!" That was Dhaos—wind cuts through his falcon, sending feathers flying everywhere. With the three gone, we keep moving.

"Onii-chan, can I fight in the next battle?"

"Ami, you shouldn't even be here to begin with!"

"She's here, Chester-kun," argues the meerkat. "Nothing's going to change that... she should at least learn the basics so she can defend herself, don't you think?"

"Keh, fine... Cless, that's your job—a sword's closer to a hammer than a bow."

"All right!"

"Ehh?! Cless-san will be teaching me?!"

"If you don't mind."

"N-no! I-I mean, I don't mind at all! I'll do my best, Cless-san!" Ami smiles happily. I forgot that she has a crush on him... Does she realize that there's something between him and Mint? This could get bad...

"We'll all need to learn more about our enemies," Suzu points out. "Odin absorbed the fire attack during that last battle."

"Yes, I noticed that as well..." Dad mutters. "All right, we'll start up classes again. We'll keep track of our enemies and learn the best ways to find them, and about elemental strengths and weaknesses. And don't think you can skip this class..."

"Yeah, it'd be kinda hard to do that... why'd we get stuck traveling with our teacher?" I mumble.

"_And_ father," he reminds me.

"I guess that means you have it worse, Chester!"

"You'll never be able to skip my class again."

Ack, I didn't think about that! "Fine, fine... but I still reserve the right to go to parties and such!" Heh, I probably won't go to many, but...

Dad holds his head. "So you're _that_ type of teenager... You're going to make things difficult on me, aren't you?"

"It wouldn't be any fun if I didn't!"

"Hm, I'm going to need to decide between grounding or detention for punishment it seems..."

Wait a sec... Well darn it! He can do both of those, plus he has his summon spirits... "All right, all right. You win! ...For now."

Everyone laughs and Dad grins in triumph.

"Euclid," the sparrow suddenly says, and we look up to see the city just ahead.

"All right! Let's go!" Ami starts running, excited.

"A-Ami! Wait!" I chase after her. She stops just inside the city walls, and I put my hands on her shoulders. Wow... it's changed so much! There's a line of trees leading straight through the city, towards a castle... Euclid was the head of a kingdom at this time?! To both the right and left, there are stairs leading up to other parts of the city... The others catch up with us, Dad staring at the address Arche's past-self gave him.

"Where to, Klarth-san?"

"Let's see... according to Arche's directions, it's on the far east side of town."

We walk down the path through the city, taking the last right. There's a house in the corner... I wonder if that's it.

"This one?" Milard questions.

"There's only one way to find out!" ...For some reason, I don't like Arche saying that... To my relief, she knocks on the door.

A young woman answers the door. Her straight, blue hair falls down just past her shoulders with a beige bonnet on her head. Her dress is crimson, lined with white, and her sleeves are short. She's wearing an apron to match the bonnet. Around her feet, I notice a tan—almost white—cat. "Hello..." she greets shyly. "Can I help you with something...?"

"We're looking for Sardon H. Lester," explains the steed. "Do you know where we can find him?"

She glances at our large group, surprised. "Sardon? He's just downstairs... why don't you come in? I'll go get him for—"

"AHHH! GET BACK HERE YOU LITTLE PIECE OF... HEY! I didn't tell you you could do that! Hey WAIT!" We hear some crashing downstairs and exchanged nervous glances. What on Aselia is going on here...?!

"Um... did we come at a bad time...?" Cless asks.

"N-no! I'll..."

"NO STOP! ACK!" More crashing—it sounds like _something's_ breaking down there.

We all turn to Dad. "W-what are you staring at?!"

"He's your relative..."

"He's yours, too!"

"Nuh-uh! You're the adult—you can deal with him!"

We hear some stomping and a door to our left bursts open. "CATHY!" the man standing there yells, his glasses almost falling off of his face. He has short, messy silver—almost blue—hair. His eyes, also blue, look very distressed, and his outfit... do _all_ Lesters wear weird clothes?! He has a light brown jacket—almost like a lab coat—on over his dark blue shirt. His pants are black, and I notice the same weird markings on him as on the other Lesters... "Where'd he go?!"

"Sardon, you have guests..."

"I DON'T HAVE TIME FOR GUESTS! My greatest experiment just flew out the window—literally! I have to find it!"

"Yep, they're related all right," I mutter.

"A family of researchers..."

"Cathy, help the guests. I'm going out to find him!"

"W-wait, Sardon! Don't overexert yourself..."

"I won't, I'm just going to—excuse me, will you get out of my way?!" Sardon glares impatiently at Dhaos, who is blocking the door.

"We're in a hurry as well."

"Arrrgh! What do you want?!"

"Sardon, don't be rude to them...!"

"We're looking for some spell books," Dad explains as he steps forward. "If you could let us have some, we'll be out of your way."

"N-no! Those books are valuable research materials! My parents and grandparents have been studying them for ages! Who do you think you are, coming in here and asking for something like that?!"

"Who am I...? I'm probably the genius that _wrote_ most of those books! My name is Klarth F. Lester!" Dad brags as he hits a proud hand against his chest.

"Klarth F... B-but that's impossible! That's the name of my great-grandfather! You can't be him! He died about fifty years ago! Right, Arche?"

Oh that's right, the past-Arche knows this guy!

"This is Klarth-sensei!"

"But... but how?!"

"Long story short, I time traveled. Anyway, we're looking for some spell books to help us out on our journey."

"O-of course! I'll get some for you, then... Hold on just a sec." Sardon spins around and runs downstairs.

"I'm sorry for not introducing myself properly..." our hostess speaks up, her cat rubbing her legs. "My name is Catherine Lester—Sardon is my husband. This little one is our cat, Trinedy."

"It's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Cless Alvein, and this is..." We wait patiently while Cless introduces all of us. Our group has really grown...

"Would you like anything to eat or drink while you're here?"

"No thank you. We shouldn't be staying long..." Dad says, and seconds later, Sardon comes stumbling up the stairs with his arms full of books. A book falls on the ground and he steps on it, tripping—he falls flat on his face and books go flying everywhere. Graceful. Really graceful...

"A-are you okay?!" The cleric hurries to help Sardon up while Dad picks up a book, staring at it. He begins curiously flipping through the pages.

"I wrote this...?"

"Y-yes! Those are your theories on humans using magic, and then somewhere..." Sardon moves books around, looking for a certain one. "Ah, here! This is a spell book... maybe it'll help you! There are a few more here as well!"

"A spell book?!" Arche demands as she snatches the book out of Sardon's hands and begins flipping through it. "Wow, this is amazing! Can I keep this?!"

"Huh? Aren't you the one that gave me that, Arche?"

"O-oh! Right... Well, I need it back!"

"Arche... Since Sardon-san's being so nice to use, we ought to tell him the truth," the swordsman decides.

"Yes, I agree," says Mint.

"The truth?"

"You see... I'm not the same Arche you know. Well, I am, but I'm more of a reincarnation."

"We come from far in the future," Dad explains. "We're actually the reincarnations of the people from this time... We're from the year 6548. You can find the Arche of this time in Miguel, along with the Chester, Cless, and Mint of this time."

"You're from two thousand years in the future?!" Sardon demands, his and his wife's faces covered in surprise.

"Yeah, basically."

"Then what are you doing this far in the past?!"

"Um..." Everyone glances at Dhaos, whose face turns a little red.

"It was a mistake! I didn't mean to come back this far—I only want to save Derris-Kharlan!"

"Either way, while we're here, we might as well learn what we can," explains Cless.

A pause as they take in this information... I guess it _does_ sound really hard to believe... "...Take me with you!" Sardon yells. Wha?! "I wanna see the future! Can humans use magic?! Are there artificial summon spirits?! What other wonders do you have in your time?!"

"W-wait a sec! We don't even know where we're going—it'd be too dangerous to take you!" Cless tries to reason.

"Artificial summon spirits?" Dad asks. "This is the first I've heard of that. As for humans using magic, it's possible, but only with minor spells. Our magic isn't as powerful as an elf's or half elf's."

"Then you have to see my experiment! I'll go get him for you!" The researcher jumps up, dumping more books onto the floor, and starts running to the door that leads downstairs. Hold on, didn't he say...

"Didn't your experiment fly out the window?" I point out, making him stop dead in his tracks.

"T-THAT'S RIGHT! I have to find him! I don't have time for this! Take what books you need and come back later—that's an order! I'll show you my experiment when you return, and you can—" ...I don't think he realized that he closed the door and we can't hear him anymore.

"Is he always like that?" I ask Cathy.

"I-I'm sorry about that... He gets so worked up about things..."

"...Well, Chester, Ami," Dad speak up, "welcome to the family."

"I'm surrounded by crazy researchers!" I joke. "Hey Cless, wanna switch?"

"Sorry, Chester, but I'm not interested in learning about magic. Have fun turning into a researching zombie!"

I roll my eyes. "Some best friend you are..."

"So says the guy that was trying to kill me at one point in time..."

"Heh heh... Sorry, Cless!" I mean it, too... Cless is my best friend. Why couldn't I see that before...?

Because of _her_. Fenrir... she used me to create strife in the group and made it impossible for me to see who to trust... I hurt my friends because of that... I hurt Cless and Dad... and Arche... and I pushed Ami and Milard right into Fenrir's trap... I did a lot of terrible things to them...

So then why did they want me back? What did it matter to them if I died? All I've done is cause them problems, yet... they were sad when I died... and Mint brought me back... Dad even adopted me... How do they trust me? How do they know I won't turn against them again?

"Hey!" Ow! Something hard just hit me in the back of the head! I hold the sore as I glare around at the person who hit me: Arche. "Stop zoning out or we'll leave you behind!"

"You didn't have to hit me!" I scowl.

"You're taking too long!" Behind her, I see the others are already outside. She turns and starts walking away, and I follow with a wave back at Cathy.

"Take care," I hear the woman say as she closes the door behind us.

Even now, they don't leave without me...

"Onii-chan, are we really gonna sail on a ship?!"

"Yeah. We'll leave from the port in Venezia."

"Wow! That's so cool! We're going on a real adventure!"

Because... they're my friends. They trust me... and I trust them. Maybe they saw the good in me before I did...

_"I don't know what he's thinking, putting his trust in you...__"_ They trusted me... They trusted I would come through in the end. They had faith in me... I won't let that go to waste! With the life my friends gave me, I'm going to do everything I can for them and for both worlds!

**Chester gained the title of Rambunctious Child. It is a title given to one who likes creating trouble for his father.**

**Klarth gained the title of Tiger. It is a title given to one who channels the spirit of the tiger.**

**Ami gained the title of Bunny-girl. It is a title given to one who channels the spirit of the rabbit.**

**Dhaos gained the title of Snake. It is a title given to one who channels the spirit of the snake.**

**Milard gained the title of Meerkat. It is a title given to one who ****channels the spirit of the meerkat.**

**Chester gained the title of Trusted Friend. No matter what, he'll always come through in the end.**

**Arche learned Earthquake.**

**Milard learned Power Seal.**

**Dhaos learned Eruption.**


	35. Sick Man

**Thank you, Xantos, for your suggestions to make the 'Daaaaaaad' scene and the puns funnier!**

**Unison attacks finally starting up! They're from Tales of Symphonia... Some, such as Pow Spear, I took directly from Tales of Symphonia... some being revised to fit the skills the Phantasia characters own. Others, such as Astral Rain, I took from Tales of the Abyss and made them into unison attacks... Then some others come from games, but I revised the name (Family Roar and Asel Seal are two examples of this)... And then X-Buster comes from Xenosaga (probably won't be used for a while, but it's there)... And many others I made up! Heh... I had ****too much fun with those...**

**Oh yeah! And the skills Ami, Milard, and Dhaos use are a combination of skills from many different Tales of games... Milard's the only one I made up ****skills for.**

**One more thing! I have another fun little game for you! As you might've guessed from the title, Chester begins showing some sort of 'disease' in this chapter... If you manage to guess what it is, you'll get a title! You have eight guesses (unless you're anonymous... can't limit that at all), and as of now, I do not have an ending chapter for this game (I'll announce what chapter the game stops at at a later time). I'll give you a title if either you get it right ****you're creative enough with the guesses that I can think up a title for you... Please give me reasons for your guesses so I can come up with better descriptions! And have fun!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Tales of games or Xenosaga (for the X-Buster reference). They're all owned by Namco.**

**--****Sick Man****--**

"So we're going to Heimdall and then coming back?" Cless confirms as we walk along the beach, towards Venezia.

"Yep. I'm interested in seeing what Sardon has to show us... Who knows, it might prove useful."

"Yeah right... you just want to see this artificial summon spirit he mentioned!" I combat.

"So maybe I do... You must admit, it's an interesting concept." Oh geez... I better watch out or I'll get Dad on a rant...

"I want to play with their kitty some when we go back!" Ami says happily. She's walking on one side of me with Dad on the other, and Cless and Mint are just in front of us. Silent behind us treads Dhaos, and I hear Arche and Milard talking behind him. With a glance back, I notice Suzu wordlessly bringing up the rear. "Hey Onii-chan, do you think we can get a kitten when we get home?"

"Hey that's right... With Dad around, we'll be able to make enough to afford one! How about it, Dad?" I ask as I turn to him.

My father folds his arms over his stomach and doesn't meet our eyes. "I'm afraid I must put my foot down on this one. A kitten in the house would only cause problems."

So says the tiger of the group...

"Pleeeeeaaasse?" My sister moves around in front of him, tugging on his cloak and staring up at our father with innocent eyes. Okay, I did _not_ teach her this one!

"That trick won't work on me." So he says, but he still doesn't look at her.

"C'mon, can't we have a kitten?" I ask.

"Nope."

"It'll be cute!"

"It's only one!"

Dad sighs. "I said no."

"What if it's an artificial summon spirit cat?"

"Nice try, Chester, but I know you have no way of getting such a thing—you'd just get a regular cat. Still not happening."

"But Daaaaaaad!" Ami and I both whine.

"Why'd I ever adopt...?" he mutters, exasperated.

Heh heh, let's see... Ah! I tap Ami's shoulder and, upon grabbing her attention, jerk my thumb back towards Milard. Getting the cue, we turn away from Dad and head over to the woman. "Moooooooom!"

"H-huh?!" Milard stops and stares at us, completely taken aback.

"Leave her out of this!" Dad yells as he hurries between us and Milard; Ami bursts out laughing and I grin wildly.

"Mom, Dad won't let us have a kitten!"

"Chester, I said to leave her out of this! Don't make me resort to summons!"

"Child abuse!"

"All right, that's it..."

I laugh and start running away from the angry summoner, ahead of Cless and Mint.

"Get back here, Chester!"

"You can't catch me, old man!" I taunt as I speed up, running along the all-too-familiar landscape.

_"You can't catch me, old man!"_ Huh? That voice... a girl? W-what the?! I'm running the opposite way on the beach—I just came from this way! I stop; what's going on here?!

Someone bumps into me and falls down. I turn—a young girl? I've never seen her before... She has long, black hair flowing wildly around her pale face. Over green silk, she wears a rough black cloak. Her tiny hands are clutching a pouch desperately as she pushes her small body up out of the sand. She can't be any older than ten or eleven...

That man running this way, is he her father? He doesn't look anything like her... He's old and bald with dark tan skin... He reaches us and forcefully grabs the girl's right arm, snatching the pouch out of her hand. "You dirty thief!" he yells. "Did you think you could get away?! I'm turning you in!"

"Ow, let go! That hurts!" The girl reaches out to me, her emerald eyes distressed. "Please help me!"

"H-hey! Hold on!" I yell as I run ahead of the man, blocking his path. "What's going on here?!"

"Move out of the way! I caught a thief and I'm turnin' her in!"

"Are you serious? But she's just a kid...!"

"A thief's a thief! Now _move_!"

"Let her go!" a new voice demands. We all turn to see another kid elegantly walk over to us. This one's a boy... he looks to be about thirteen or fourteen. He has curly red hair and ruby eyes that glare at the man with an absolute air of authority. His clothes are all made of yellow silk, from the loose shirt to the baggy pants. The girl's distraught look changes to one of excitement.

"Y-your Highness!" The man exclaims with a bow of his head. That boy's a prince? "I caught this thief and—"

"That 'thief' is a friend of mine! Release her and leave at once!" the young prince orders with such command that even the large man shivers. With a scowl, he tosses the girl's arm away and sulks as he trudges down the beach, towards Venezia. The prince turns his glare to me, wondering why I'm not leaving.

"I'm not going to try taking your friend away," I assure him. "I simply want to know where _my_ friends ran off to... or where I ended up..."

"How dare you..." The young girl storms up to me, shooting a glare as cold as ice up at me. "Who do you think you are, appearing out of nowhere like that?! Because of you, I got caught!"

"You shouldn't even be stealing in the first place!" I quip, glaring straight back at the little brat. "And I didn't mean to come here—wherever here is! I was on my way to Venezia with my friends! What the heck happened to them?!"

"Wait, what do you mean 'appeared'?" the prince questions as he walks over to me and begins examining me.

"He just sorta appeared out of thin air! One second there was no one, next second he was there."

"...Who are you?"

"I should be the one asking that!" These kids are annoying... "And how'd I get here?!"

"Do you think we should have the knights arrest him?" the girl asks her friend.

Huh?! "Hey! I don't want to get mixed up in whatever's going on here! Just tell me where Cless and the others went!"

"Chester!" Huh? That sounds like... Cless! But where is he?! I don't see him anywhere... "Chester, wake up!"

I blink and the beach with the two children is replaced by blue sky. What happened _now_?! My friends are staring down at me... "H-hey... what's going on...?"

"Chester, are you all right?! You suddenly collapsed and...!" While the swordsman talks, Dad puts his hand against my forehead... I feel like I have a headache...

"I'm not sick!" I protest as I try to push myself past them, but Dad prevents me from moving.

"Maybe you should look in a mirror," suggests the witch. "You're really pale!"

"You definitely don't have a cold... in fact, it feels more like you're freezing," Dad explains as he draws his hand away.

I scowl and push myself up. "I'm not sick! I feel just fine!" I'm starting to feel a little better...

"It might be because of your death..." Mint speaks up. "What's happening now might be a side effect of dying and coming back to life."

"We should definitely try to find out more... I'd hate for Chester to die again."

"Agreed. A body can only handle being resurrected once..." the dove explains.

"I'm not going to die any time soon! Stop treating me like I'm delicate or something!"

"Chester... we're worried about you..." Cless tries to reason; I stand up without a word. I don't want them to worry about me... I don't like it! It makes me feel weak...

"Isn't that stubbornness what got you killed last time?" taunts the weasel.

I glare at her. "Shut up! I'm not going to die again! I'm perfectly fine!"

"And there's my point exactly! If you wouldn't be so stupidly stubborn, you'd survive a lot longer! Idiot!"

"We should at least visit a doctor while in Venezia," Milard suggests.

"I don't need to see a doctor! I'm perfectly fine! Leave me alone!"

Cless sighs. "It's no use... he's made up his mind."

"He's way too stubborn for his own good..." agrees the meerkat.

"We don't have time for it anyway. We need to hurry and find a way to save Derris-Kharlan before your gods catch up with us," Dhaos argues coldly.

"But Onii-chan's sick..."

"I'm not sick! Now let's go!" I push my way past them and begin marching down the beach, towards the town I see off in the distance. I hear the others walking behind me, telling me to slow down, but I don't listen; I'll show them that I'm perfectly fine!

There's Venezia... The buildings all look so different! Their style is a lot more old fashioned than I'm used to, but the port still looks roughly the same... Ah, good, the last dock is empty. I lead the way over to it, reaching into my pocket as I walk for the wing pack. I wonder if the people of this time know what wing packs are... Oh right, it shouldn't matter if we draw attention in this time period or not—the king's not against us here. I open the capsule and the ship jumps out of it, into the water.

"Chester, wait up! Geez, why are you in such a rush?!" demands the witch, much to my annoyance.

"We need to find out what we can, right?! Now let's get going! I'll steer." I storm onto the ship and up to the front, where the wheel is. The first time I did this, Lynn was with us... before she killed me. She probably doesn't realize that I'm alive again... Heh, I'd love to see her face when she finds out! Though Odin might tell her... I bet she's angry about that!

The ship sets out—they must've lifted the anchor. I hear Suzu call out for me to sail northeast, and Milard brings a compass to the front for me. "Thanks," I tell her as I steer northeast.

Still... it's hard to believe that Lynn—or Fenrir—was against us this whole time... that she was just playing with me... I saw a fake the whole time. I wonder what she's _really_ like...? And how I really felt about her... I liked being with her, but now that I look back at it, I don't think that was really 'love'... She was nice, sure, and she was pretty, but... that's really all she was. And in the end, she wasn't 'nice' at all... Just my luck... I _would_ have an ex-girlfriend that's a goddess and trying to kill me...

What about Heimdall? I wonder what she really wants from me... Why'd she bother contacting me and telling me about these records? Has she laid a trap for us...?

"Chester-san, I made you something to eat," Mint speaks up as she walks over, followed by Cless. We're sailing between Arlee and a bunch of small islands right now...

"I'll steer while you eat," offers the swordsman, and I comply; he takes the wheel, and I take the food Mint offer. I sit against the rail and begin eating... Mint served meatloaf and mashed potatoes. That's one of my favorites! "Thanks, Mint."

"No problem. Please enjoy it!" she says as kindly as ever. Mint... I don't think she could be mean if she _tried_. Heh...

"Wow, this is really good, Mint! This is probably the best I've ever had!" I then stuff more meatloaf in my mouth.

The cleric turns away, embarrassed. "Oh stop it... it's not that good..."

"I agree with Chester. Your food's always really good!"

"I-it's not..." We fall silent for a few minutes, the dove keeping her face away from both of us.

I break the silence; "So where's everyone else?"

"Arche and Klarth-san are handling the sails, Milard-san's studying downstairs, and Ami's trying to get a game going with Suzu and Dhaos," answers Cless. "Last I checked, Dhaos was standing on the back of the ship, ignoring Ami."

"Well at least he's leaving her alone..." I pause. What if I'm leading all of them—including Ami—into a trap...? "Hey Cless, Mint, we can't be sure that this is safe... so be careful, okay?"

"You, too. Don't push yourself too hard, Chester!"

"Everyone's been doing their best to prepare for a trap," Mint assures me. "I'm saving up my energy, and Cless-san is ready to warp us out of there if need be... I expect Suzu-chan is, too. Even if it's a trap, I'm sure we'll be fine!"

"Yeah... I hope so... Who is this Brambert guy anyway?"

"He's the leader of the elves."

"Then... then what about Arche?!"

"I remember... when we met Lord Brambert in our past lives." Mint's voice is really soft and gentle... "He was in love with Arsia, a half elf."

"But I thought the elves hated half elves...!"

"As a whole, yes... which is why Lord Brambert couldn't be with the one he loved for over a hundred and fifty years."

The one he loved... he couldn't be with, huh...? That must hurt... all because of discrimination against half elves... An elf who loved a half elf...

_"You who are able to love a half elf..."_ ...Wait a sec! What'd Heimdall mean by _that_?! The only half elf I know is Arche, and there's _nothing_ between us! I don't love her at all!

Oh yeah... About that knight test, the one that Cless and I were caught up in... "Hey Cless, what was that knight test about, anyway? Why would the king have the knights _do_ anything like that...?"

"I can't really say much because of that silencing curse... but I don't think it'll be a problem to say that it was meant to be a test of loyalty."

"A test of... to see if you were loyal to the king?! They wanted you to kill innocent people for _that_?!"

Cless smiles sadly at me and nods.

"That's terrible...!" Mint exclaims.

"Were the people random? How'd I get involved?" It seems a little _too_ convenient... but then again Thor, Odin, and Fenrir were all involved...

"Don't you remember the people who were chosen to become knights and those who were chosen to be killed?"

Let's see... I've seen many of them in at least one class and... Ah! "They chose the people most important to you, didn't they?!"

"I knew you would figure it out, Chester... I'm sorry I couldn't tell you about that before..."

"No, I had amnesia. There was nothing either of us could do... You couldn't tell me the truth, and I couldn't remember it..."

"I'm sorry about what my father did..." mutters the princess. "And I was too blind to see it as well..." We fall into silence, contemplating this. So for that reason, they killed innocent people...?! Not only that, but the knights are forced to kill the person most important to them... I'm glad Cless got out of that, even if it took a while...

"Chester-san, are you done eating? Did you not like the potatoes?"

"Huh?" I stare down at my plate. I finished all of the meatloaf, but I haven't even touched the mashed potatoes. "O-oh! No, it's just the meatloaf was so good I didn't even notice..." I dig my fork in and begin eating. "This is also really good, Mint!" I compliment, making her blush. Heh heh, she _does_ look kinda cute when embarrassed! Though I'm not going to try going anywhere with her—she's Cless' girl. Anyway, it was a bit of a lie... the potatoes need a bit more spice or something, but I don't mind. Besides, it was worth lying to fluster Mint again! She's _way_ too easy... Hm, I wonder how cheese would taste on mashed potatoes...

Finishing my food, I stand up. "I'll be right back," I tell the two as I head back, towards the door leading below deck. I notice all of the others sitting around the door, and they greet me as I pass by. Ami looks excited about something... They all seem to be having fun. Well, all except Dhaos, who's trying to ignore them... he's simply staring off at the sea. I walk past them and below deck, where I then head for the kitchen. Looks like everyone left their plates by the sink... I follow suit and then search for a cup. Mint must've organized everything... all of our plates, cups, and silverware have been stashed neatly in cabinets. Finding a cup, I pour myself a glass of water and relax as I gulp it down.

Heimdall... I wonder what's waiting for us there. I don't have the strength to use skills, but... if I need to, I will.

Oh that's right, I haven't told them about my dream with the kids... It probably wasn't important. Still... who were those kids? A prince and a thief... Oh well, I'll probably never know.

Finishing the water, I leave my cup in the sink and head back upstairs. I open the door leading above deck and—

"Pow hammer!"

"Ow!" I yelp as I stumble backwards. I reach for the doorframe—I think I grabbed it... I feel dizzy... very... dizzy...

"Chester, are you all right?!"

"Onii-chan! Onii-chan, I'm sorry!"

Uhn... where am I again...? Oh right, the boat... I'm kneeling on the floor, most of my friends—all except Cless—gathered around me. There's a small red hammer on the ground... "What the heck happened?!"

"Sorry, Onii-chan! I was practicing my new skill and..." my sister mumbles, turning her head away from me.

"New skill?! _What_ new skill?!"

"Pow Hammer! I can create a hammer out of thin air! Isn't it neat?!"

She learned a... I glare at the others. "Okay, who taught it to her?!"

Arche promptly points to Milard, who points to Dad, who points to Dhaos, who points to Mint. Mint and Suzu are the only ones _not_ pointing at anyone... this is chaos.

"You're all a bunch of liars," I mutter as I stand up. "Fine, whatever... but only because she needs to defend herself!"

"We're almost at the port near Morlia Mineshaft," the ninja speaks up.

"That was fast!" Ami exclaims, surprised.

"Time flies when you're having fun, right?" Dad points out. He puts a hand on his daughter's shoulder and continues, "Great job today, Ami. You're learning quickly!"

"Thank you, Dad, everyone! I'll do my best!"

She's so excited about this... doesn't she realize how dangerous it is? I almost didn't walk away from it... and we're not even done yet. I'll have to watch her and protect her... I won't let anything happen to Ami!

We soon dock in the port—it's a lot smaller now than in the future—and I return our ship into the wing pack. All the sailors are staring at us... I guess there aren't any wing packs in this time period...

We leave the port and set out along the beach, towards Heimdall.

"So what do you think the land of the elves is like in this time period?" questions my father.

"Their leader likes half elves, so that's a good sign!" the princess points out.

"Elves, half elves, and humans... so there's discrimination in this world?"

"Yeah... unfortunately," Cless says. "What about in Derris-Kharlan?"

"The countries on Derris-Kharlan were at war until soon after Aselian scientists discovered our planet.

"So I guess there's war on all planets..."

"Japoni is a peaceful nation," Suzu speaks up. "While we have spied for nations many times, we have not been directly involved in any war since the war against the Demon King."

"T-the Demon King..." The six of us Heroes of Space-Time stare at Dhaos; does he remember that at all? He waged war against our planet before...

Noticing us stare, the snake folds his arms over his stomach. "In case you're wondering, I do not have any memories of my previous life."

"B-but you know...?" Cless ventures for the rest of us.

"We have tales in my world as well. We managed to find out that I was the one who went to get the Mana Seed from this world."

"So even after that, you don't mind working with us, right, Dhaos-san...?" questions Mint.

"As much as I hate humans... If you ignore the fact that you killed me in my previous life, you six _are_ the ones who saved Derris-Kharlan... so I'll put up with you for now."

"Whew, we're safe..." mutters Arche, and the rest of us no doubt feel the same—I know I do! We already have gods to fight, we don't need angels as well... "Well, it'll be great working with you, Dhaos! I'm sure your magic will be a lot stronger than puny arrows!"

"Why you...! Aren't you forgetting that _my_ arrows saved you from that barrier thing?! They're a lot better than your magic!"

"My magic's what saved you from becoming an ice statue!"

"I would've been fine on my own!"

"Well I would've, too!"

"Idiot!"

"Jerk!"

"Chester, Arche..." Cless pleads, "...save it for—Watch out! Rising Phoenix!" Cless jumps into the air, surrounded by fire, and charges down on one of three large toads attacking me and Arche; Suzu and Ami each take out one of the last two.

"How was that, Onii-chan?!" Ami demands, ecstatic.

She's so proud of herself... I don't want her to fight, but... "...You did good..." I mutter, half hoping she can't hear me.

Next thing I know, she's clinging to my stomach, happy. "Yay! Thank you!"

"Keh, don't let it go to your head! Just because you knocked that frog out doesn't mean you're ready to fight bigger monsters! You should still stay in the back!"

"I'll get better!" she declares as she lets go and stares at me with determined eyes.

"Are you listening to me?! Sheesh..."

"All of those attacks were very good," Dad says as he walks over, his book under his arm. "Maybe we could make them stronger, though."

"Stronger? How so?"

"If two people attack at once using matching skills, we may be able to hurt the enemies more than with two separate attacks. A unison attack, if you will."

"A unison attack... How would it work?"

"For instance... take that bugbear over there." Dad points to a bugbear—it's a feline monster that usually walks on all four legs, but it looks to be able to stand if it wants. "Cless and Mint, I'll need you two for this one."

"All right."

"Y-yes!"

"Aww, why Mint and not me?" Ami complains, her face puffed up a little.

"You can participate in this one, but you should probably save your energy until you're stronger," Dad explains. "Now then, on the count of three... Cless, I want you to use Light Spear, and Mint, you'll use Pow Hammer. One... two... THREE!"

"Light Spear!"

"Pow Hammer!"

The skills go off at once, stunning the creature as it's swept up in Cless' lunging attack—the force creates a blast on the ground that goes past the dying creature.

"Wow... amazing!"

"How'd I do?" Mint asks like she's asking all of us, but her attention's on the swordsman.

"You did great!" Cless answers, a gentle smile on his face. "Klarth-san, how'd you know about that?"

"Because I am the greatest genius of all, Klarth F. Lester!" ...I am _so_ not buying that. From the looks of his overconfident face, I'm willing to bet that he made it up off the top of his head. "And I vote that we shall call this unison attack 'Pow Spear'!"

"What others can we do?" Arche asks, a devious grin on her face. "Maybe we could show Thor up if we combined Pow Hammer with a lightning spell..."

"Well, that was just the first one. We should work together to make more up and see what skills we can come up with!"

"Yeah, this'll be fun!" the witch cheers, throwing her fist up in the air. "What else can we do?"

"You can make them up on the way," the angel says coldly. "Let's hurry to Heimdall." He turns his back on us, leading the way across the field, as Arche sticks her tongue out at him. One by one, we follow him in silence.

I wonder what other unison attacks we'll come up with... It might be cool to combine Wild Rain with a wind spell... maybe I'll suggest that in the next battle!

There's Ymir... The fog's coming into view up ahead. I glance around—the other Mint said that Brambert lived outside of the Ymir Forest, right? Wait, but if he's the leader, then why doesn't he live in Heimdall...? We begin searching the woods around Ymir, looking for a house of some sort. I don't see anything besides trees... maybe we should've asked her _exactly_ where to find him...

"I found it!" Arche yells from above—she's flying over the trees, pointing towards the southeast. "There's a mansion by the beach!" All right, great job Arche! We start running towards the house as fast as we can. There it is—it was hidden by the mountains! It's a large, brown stone mansion with a matching fence out in front. The roof is burgundy, and there's a porch above a room on the left side. The front porch has two large stone columns holding the roof above it, and the door is made of a refined wood. He must've paid a fortune for a house this nice...!

We slow down at the gate and walk up the worn path to the door. The foliage around the house is lovely—the trees don't hide it, but instead, hang over in just the right places for it to seem mystic. Somehow, I end up being the one to knock on the door. After knocking, I back up a little to fall in line with Cless, Mint, and Dad, with everyone else behind us.

...Someone lives here, right? I move forward and try knocking again. We wait again... "Yes?" someone calls from inside as the door opens.

Yes, this is him... I recognize him from the memory I got at Volt! This elf is Brambert...

"It's you!" Brambert exclaims. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm sorry for the trouble, Lord Brambert, but to tell you the truth... we're not exactly the same people you know," Cless starts. We wait while he explains where we came from and how we got here, and Brambert listens patiently.

When the swordsman finishes, the elf says, "I see... Please, come inside. You can tell me what you need while sitting." He moves out of the way, letting all of us in. The inside of the house is exactly the same as I remember it from my previous life... wooden floor, gray stone walls, a cozy fireplace on the other side of the green table... There's a nice green and brown rug below the table, and surrounding it are six chairs. Wait... there's ten of us here...

"Go ahead and sit down," our host tells us as he hurries into another room, and soon he emerges with an additional chair. After setting that one at the table, he rushes into another room. Mint, Arche, and Ami sit down on the side closest to the fireplace, the side that has three chairs right now. Cless sits at one end of the table, next to Mint, while Klarth sits at the other end, next to Ami. I take a seat next to Klarth, and Milard sits in the chair Brambert brings, next to me. Suzu takes the last chair, while Brambert and Dhaos stand. "One more chair... Hold on, I'll go get it."

"There's no need," the angel says, his voice as icy as ever. "I can stand."

"...All right, then. So you came from two thousand years in the future... have you come here to find a way back to your time?"

"We already have a way to get back... but it won't do us any good if we can't save Aselia and Derris-Kharlan."

"So you're looking for a way to save both, then... In that case, I don't understand why you came to me. I don't know of any way I could help you with that..."

"Heimdall told us that we might find some information here," I speak up.

"Heimdall-sama?! The god of the elves?!" He takes a step back, astonished. "You've talked to..."

"Yeah. I'm not sure if she was lying to us or not... but she told us to look for records on a girl named Kalinthra of Heimdall. Do you know where we could find these...?"

He flinched when I mentioned that Heimdall might be lying—looked like it annoyed him that I said that. Oh well... I have good reason to after our trouble with the other three gods.

"Princess Kalinthra of Heimdall... the mediator. Her diary is in the Heimdall library... It's the oldest record in Aselia. Most of you should be able to get in, but you won't be able to take any books—especially not a record as valuable as that one."

"I don't mean to be rude, but could you get the records for us, Lord Brambert?" Dad asks.

"...I'm afraid I cannot. I'm sorry, but... I shouldn't go..."

"Because of Arsia?" questions Mint.

"How do you—?!"

"We've gotten memories from our past lives, our lives at this time... If you want to be with Arsia, then be with her! Don't just make an excuse to stay because you feel you have to... I truly believe that you need to follow your heart, Lord Brambert."

"I... I'm sorry. I can't... You may use this house as much as you want. If they ask that you have permission to enter Heimdall, I can grant it to all except Arche and Dhaos. Please hurry—you have two planets to save, don't you?"

"Coward..." I mutter. "Fine, sulk here all you want. C'mon, let's go get those records."

"Um, Chester, there's a problem with that..." Dad speaks up.

"What?"

"They're Elven records. Therefore, they'll be written in Elven. There are only two people standing here who can read them, and neither of them can enter Heimdall. Not to mention that we can't bring the records _out_ of Heimdall..."

I scowl. "Well that's just convenient! What the heck are we supposed to do then?!"

"We could always wait until nightfall and steal the records."

"_Dad_! You're supposed to set a good example for me and Ami!"

"We'd return the records, of course! We won't hold on to them! Besides, this is for the future of the world, right?"

"I agree!" Arche cheers. "We'll get the records and then read over them tonight! Then we can return them tomorrow night!"

"I'm not so sure about this..." mumbles Cless.

"As much as I'd hate for you to steal from my people... I guess you don't have much of a choice. Just please return the records in perfect condition..."

"Will do! Let's get some rest so we'll be ready for a long night!" the half elf says.

"Suzu, will you help me set up a plan?" Dad asks.

"All right."

"We'll go upstairs, then." Turning to our elf host, he gives a lopsided grin and an encouraging wink. "That way Lord Brambert won't have to lie when he said he didn't know about it." As the two walk towards a room in the back, I guess leading upstairs, I notice Brambert's sad smile.

"You know, we could do this easier if you'd just face the elves and tell them that you don't want to go back," Arche points out.

"I... No, they couldn't understand..." After a pause, he offers, "Would you like something to eat?"

"Thanks, but we recently ate," Cless explains.

"Ah... Then feel free to rest here."

"Thank you, Lord Brambert! Chester, it's been a while since we've been hunting... why don't we do that?" Huh... from the look on his face, I don't think hunting's what's on his mind...

I grin. "Yeah, it'll be a good chance to get some training in, too!"

"Ah! Maybe you can get Onii-chan's memory back like that!"

"I already have my memory back."

"Ehhhh?!"

"I got it back when I died." I turn to Arche with a glare and add, "That means no more amnesia jokes."

Uh-oh, the weasel has a mischievous grin on her face... "Aww, I was having fun with the amnesia jokes! Not being able to continue them just _kills_ me!"

"W-what?! There is something _seriously_ wrong with you when you can make puns about death!"

"There's not a _ghost_ of a chance you're getting away from my jokes!"

Gah, this girl is so annoying! How can she make puns about death like this?!

"I don't think that one had enough _body_ in it, Arche," Cless speaks up from behind me.

"Not you, too!"

"Maybe I'm lacking the proper _spirit_?" the witch continues.

"Maybe we can find some spirit in the cemetery!"

"Yeah, I'm sure Chester's _dying_ to take a peek!"

"Cless! Arche!"

"Oh Chester! The reaper was looking for his grim outlook on life—you might want to give it back!"

"That's not funny, Arche!"

"Careful, Chester, our jokes are deadly," Cless adds with a smile.

"All right, that's it!" I walk around Cless and grab his cloak; I then begin dragging him out the door, ignoring his protests. Outside, I let go of his cloak and turn to glare at my best friend.

The steed laughs, an apologetic smile on his face. "Sorry, Chester! I haven't gotten to joke around like that in a while!"

"So you make fun of me?"

"Haha, sorry!"

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever... So where are we _really_ going? To scout out Heimdall?" Hold on... "I-I mean the village, not the goddess!"

"I don't even want to know what you were thinking..." Cless mutters. "And yes, we are... We'll need to find out exactly where the records are."

"Did you not mention it because of Arche?"

"Heh... you know me too well!"

"Of course! I've had to put up with you since we were little," I joke with a grin on my face. "Let's go."

Cless nods and we walk towards the fog of the marsh. The forest is pretty quiet today... I hear a few birds singing and bugs buzzing, but not many. Before long, we find Ymir Forest... there's an elf waiting out here, but he lets us pass. We follow the bridges along towards the elf village...

A large moving tree—a branch—is blocking our path. Cless draws his sword as I notch an arrow.

"Demon Fang!" The blast of energy hits the advancing branch, stalling it. Hm...

"Hey Cless, wanna race?"

"Huh?"

"My Dragon Slayer versus your Demon Fang!"

Cless grins. "All right. Demonic Dragon, on the count of three!" I begin charging up energy for the powerful skill. "One... two... three!"

"Demonic Dragon!" My arrow, surrounded in a pink energy, flies towards the enemy with the blast of white energy below it. The two forces obliterate the tree and Cless and I exchange grins.

"I think I won!" Cless declares.

"Ha, you wish! My arrow's a _lot_ faster than Demon Fang!" We laugh and continue our journey through the marsh. This is nice... It's been a _long_ while since I've gotten a chance to hang out with just my best friend... though most of that time, I didn't _want_ to hang out with him...

The marsh ends and we enter Heimdall through the southern entrance. There are a few other humans around here from the looks of it... "Which way?"

"I don't know... let's take a look around."

We head into the first building on the left, but it seems to be a weapon shop. We head towards the building next to it, but there are signs on that one indicating that it's the item shop and apothecary. We follow the path between the two buildings, towards a stream with a small bridge leading across it. There's a large building there—the inn. Instead of crossing the bridge, we turn to the right and continue our silent journey through the village. There are mainly elves around... in fact, I've only seen two other humans so far, and both looked to be knights. We follow the path around the back of the item shop to another stream with a bridge, which we cross. On the other side of a bridge is a path that leads right to a small building and left to one a little larger. We decide to try the right one first.

The building, like all others here, is wooden with a straw roof. Unlike the others, there's no sign on the outside... I try to open the door, but it's locked. Cless peeks in the window while I glance around—good, no one's watching us. "I think this is it..." I hear Cless say; I spin around to face him, but I feel dizzy—

**Ami gained the title of Cute Child. Maybe I'll get my way using sad puppy eyes!**

**Chester gained the title of Sick Man. He's showing symptoms for some kind of disease...**

**Mint gained the title of Modest. It's not that good, really...**

**Klarth gained the title of Unison Strategist. It is a title given to the one who came up with the idea of Unison Attacks.**

**Klarth ****has received t****he ****disgraceful ****title of Bad Example. It is a title given to a father who does not set**** a good example for his children.**

**Ami learned Pow Hammer.**


	36. Best Friends Forever

**EDIT: I made a mistake with the years... sorry! I changed it... Kalinthra was born in 2529, not 2129 (as it previously said). But that is fixed now!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Tales of games. They are owned by Namco.**

**--Best Friends Forever--**

"Eeek! Get it away from me!" a girl screeches. Hey, it's the young thief brat from before! She's standing in front of me, shaking, her emerald eyes full of fear. This large tree... we're in front of Yggdrasil! We're not the only ones, either... the prince is here along with two others. One of the two is a young boy—probably about seven or eight—with a feminine face. He has neat blonde hair and confused, yet mature, blue eyes. He's dressed in the finest silk tunic of white and minty green. The last one, a girl, is an elf with short green hair neatly cropped around her pale face and distant hazel eyes. She looks to be about eleven or twelve... Unlike the others, her clothes are normal and not fancy—her tunic is brown and green, so she can easily blend in with the forest. All of the children are staring at the thief girl, confused.

"What's wrong—ah!" The elf notices me and jumps to her feet, holding her hands up in defense. "Who are you?!"

"Hey, you're that guy from earlier!" the prince realizes.

"Never mind him—just get that _thing_ out of here!" the thief yells as she points to a little green plant. ...You're joking, right? It's a small, leafy plant with stems that stick straight up. The top of it is covered in long sapphire blue flowers. Maybe she's pointing to a bug on the other side of the plant...

"Calm down, it's only a plant..." the blonde haired boy pleads.

"It's aconite... it's sometimes used in magic ointments," the elf says.

"I don't care! Just get it out of here!" The girl turns to me, tears threatening to fall from her eyes. "I can't stand it!"

I roll my eyes. "Uh-huh. So you can steal from large, overgrown men, but you can't take a tiny plant?"

"It's poisonous! _You_ try picking it!"

"But I pick those all the time..." argues the elf.

"You're an elf! You know _how_ to pick them!" The girl turns her glare back to me, daring me to try. Keh, I'm not scared of a plant! I'll show her... I walk over to the tiny plant and reach out, firmly wrapping my right hand around the stem of the plant. Ow! It burns—I quickly draw my hand away and stare at my red fingers. I then stare at the plant. What kind of plant _is_ this, to be able to do _that_?!

"A-are you okay?! I have some ointment!" the blonde haired boy offers as he rushes over to me. He pulls out some medicine and I take off the glove on my right hand. As he spreads the ointment, he asks, "What's your name?"

"I'm Chester. Chester Barklight."

"This is the second time you've appeared out of thin air... Are you a spirit of some sort?" questions the young prince.

"What? No, I'm a human... I don't even know how I got here," I answer as I put my glove back on.

"Which kingdom are you from?"

"Kingdom? Is this still in the past? Well, in my time, there's only one royal family..."

"EHHHH?! You're from the future?!" the kids chorus.

"I guess... Year 6548. What year is it now? And who are you kids?"

"Wow, that's so neat! From the future...!" the thief girl exclaims, full of excitement. "Oh right, I apologize for not introducing myself sooner..."

I blink and the forest is gone—now I'm inside a wooden building, lying in a bed. "Chester!" Cless exclaims—he's sitting on the bed next to me, watching me with worry in his purple eyes. "Are you all right?! You suddenly got sick again... I wasn't able to contact anyone, so I brought you to the inn—"

"I'm fine," I mumble as I sit up. Whoa, I feel a little light headed...

"This is the second time that's happened today... maybe you should rest."

"I said I'm fine! I don't need your sympathy!"

"Chester... L-let's head back to the others, then..."

"We're not done here, are we?"

"We found what we needed."

I push the covers off and stand up. "All right, then let's go. And Cless?"

"Yes?"

"Don't tell Dad and the others about this, okay?"

"But Chester, they need to know if you're sick! We need to do something about it before it gets too bad..."

"I told you, I'm fine! And that's exactly why I don't want anyone else to know—they'll make a big deal of it! It's probably just from using Dragon Slayer or something... Come on, Cless, promise me you won't tell anyone?"

"But—"

"Promise me!"

"...If it doesn't happen again, I'll keep my mouth shut. But if you get sick again, I have a right to let your father know about this."

"Deal." We shake hands to end the deal and I then head out of the inn. We leave the elf village and walk through the quiet marsh. It's starting to get late now... I guess we'll go over the plan and then head back out here.

We exit the foggy marsh and walk through the woods, sunset falling over us. "This world looks so beautiful, don't you think?" Cless asks as he stares up through the trees.

"Yeah... in all time periods. I'm glad I got to stay in it longer!"

"I am, too! And... I'm glad we're friends again." Cless is smiling at me now. "No matter what, you'll always be my best friend."

I nod. "Yeah. If I ever do anything stupid like that again to you, knock some sense into me, okay?"

"Same here." We exchange grins and then start moving again. I see the mansion coming into view...

We enter the mansion to find most of the people still sitting around the table, talking. "I'm going to let Klarth-san and Suzu-chan know what we found," Cless whispers to me as he retreats upstairs. Only two other people are missing from this... Brambert and Ami.

"Where's Ami...?" I ask.

"She went outside to pick flowers," answers Milard.

Flowers, huh... I hope that aconite flower isn't around here... "I'm going to go look for her."

"If that's the case," Brambert speaks up from behind me, "would you tell her that dinner's almost ready?"

"Sure thing."

I walk back out of the house and glance around. I don't see her here... but I hear humming. I walk out of the gates and follow the humming around the fence, to the right. Ami's here, picking flowers, just like Milard said... I don't see the blue flower that had burned my hand around here—that's a good sign. I walk over to my little sister, who is surrounded by many bouquets of flowers, and kneel down next to her. "Hey. What's this for?"

"I want to give everyone some flowers for allowing me to come!"

"We didn't exactly allow it..."

"I promise I'm going to try my hardest, Onii-chan! So please don't send me back..."

I sigh and pat her on the head. "It's dangerous, you know... you could get hurt."

"I don't care! I want to help everyone! I want to be by your side, Onii-chan!"

"You dolt... How are flowers going to help everyone?"

"Flowers always make people happy, so..."

"Whatever... hurry up, okay? Dinner's almost ready."

"Oh! I-I'm done! Here's yours, Onii-chan!" She turns to me and hands me a bouquet of flowers, a smile on her face. That idiot... I take the flowers.

"Thanks. Now let's go inside." She stands up, gathering all of the flowers in her arms, and we walk inside. Everyone's sitting at the table now—Brambert found two more chairs for himself and Dhaos. As Ami sits down, she passes out flowers to everyone; most people take the flowers with a 'thank you,' but Dhaos stares at her like she's an idiot.

"Won't you take them...?"

"What good will flowers do us?"

"Flowers make people smile!"

"Keh! Who cares?! Flowers won't do anything for us! They're useless!"

"But... flowers are pretty..." Ami mumbles as she draws away, staring at the floor.

"Hey! Don't yell at her! She's trying to do something nice for everyone!" I yell at the man. I hate him! He can be cruel to the rest of us all he wants, but he shouldn't snap at Ami like that!

"'Nice'? If she wants to do something useful, she can train and get stronger. We have no need for flowers."

"O-oh..." Ami retreats to her seat, the last bouquet still in her hand. That stupid Dhaos! If he makes Ami cry...!

"Ami-chan, it's okay," Mint assures my sister. "I think the flowers are a very nice gift! Now if I'm ever feeling down, I'll be able to see them and always know that someone cares about me! Right?" Cless eagerly nods in agreement.

"Heehee, thank you, Mint-san!" Ami says as she rubs her eyes.

"Well then, time to eat!" Cless says, and we all finally start eating.

Let's see, Brambert served us... a plate full of vegetables. Haven't these elves heard of meat? We each have a bowl of salad on one side and a glass of water on the other. Our plates have potatoes, tomatoes, cucumbers, and peas on them along with a mixture of different fruits.

There's cheese, salt, and butter in the center of the table, which I use to fix up my baked potato. I then begin eating it. Ugh, it tastes really bland... maybe more salt will help? Well, that helped a little... not much, though. There are a few other spices on the table... I wonder if any of them will help? I sprinkle some of the red spice on it first. Still doesn't help... maybe this brown spice? Nope... I give up... I'll just try eating something else.

I scoop up some peas and try eating those. Also bland... So are the cucumbers and fruits. Ugh... Maybe Mint should've cooked...

"Chester-san, are you not hungry?" Mint questions, and eyes turn to me.

"H-huh? I'm fine..."

"You're not feeling sick again, are you?"

"_Cless_!" I hiss. Oops, that caught Dad's attention.

"Did something happen?"

"No! Of course not!" I shove a large piece of potato in my mouth.

"Cless?"

"N-no! I was simply referring to earlier... we never found out why he got sick, so I was worried..." Cless glances down, nervous, and he soon stuffs food in his mouth. I'll have to be sure to thank him for that later!

Dad continues watching us, and I pretend to be more interested in the food. Before too long, everyone finishes their plates. Our host stands up and begins stacking the plates.

"I'll help you, Lord Brambert," offers the dove as she stands up.

"It's fine, I have it. Besides, you have more important things to discuss, don't you?" he points out as he walks away with a stack full of plates; Mint returns to her seat.

"He's right," Dad says. "So then, the plan... Cless and Chester found the library earlier... it's in the southern part of the village, surrounded by water. Suzu can warp us past the guards, but we'll still have a problem if either Arche or Dhaos are discovered. It'd also be easy for them to notice nine people... so I suggest we only take a few. Suzu must be one of them, and Arche another so we're sure to find the right records. I can go to use Shadow for distraction, but we'll need someone else to balance out the party... Chester, will you come? You're a long range fighter, so it'd be easier for you to keep them from seeing our faces."

"Of course!" I'm glad Cless didn't say anything about me getting sick... I doubt Dad would let me come if he knew! "Why don't we just warp inside the building, though?"

"I've never been inside it," Suzu explains. "It'd be safest to warp to a point I know."

"Makes sense... When do we set out?"

"As soon as we're ready. Once Suzu warps us in behind the item shop, we'll head straight to the library."

"I'm ready."

"So am I."

"Me, too!"

"Then let's go!" Dad says as he stands up, and we walk towards the entrance, making a group for Suzu to transport. Both Dad and Suzu begin concentrating.

"Shadow Storm!" Leaves swirl around us and Brambert's house disappears, along with our friends. When the leaves clear out, we're standing in the dark night of the elf village.

"I summon thee from the darkest abyss... Come, Shadow!" Dad says it as softly as he can, and his amethyst pact ring glows; a small ball of darkness comes out of it and creeps along the ground, towards the left. We hear the elves make a commotion and hurry to the left, towards the library. I lead the way to the building, where we run around to the locked door.

"I'll handle it," Suzu whispers as she pulls out a small knife and begins picking the lock. I turn away and notch my bow, watching for elves. I don't see any... hopefully they're all trying to figure out what Shadow is... "We're in!" Suzu announces and we all rush into the building. Suzu locks the door behind us, putting us in complete darkness.

"I'll get the light," I hear Dad say in the darkness. "You concentrate on finding the records, Arche."

"Gotcha!"

Green light engulfs us as my father prepares another summon. Arche uses what little light we have to start searching through the records. "Hey Chester, what's the name again?"

"Kalinthra. Kalinthra of Heimdall."

"Brambert said they were the oldest records on Aselia," Suzu adds.

"...shall uphold our contract. I, Klarth F. Lester, the pact maker, summon thee from the brightest star... Come, Aska!" A golden ball quickly emerges into existence above the summoner, the golden bird coming out of it to give the room just enough light for Arche to read by. Wow, that's the most of the summoning process I've ever listened to... does he really say about that much every time, or is that only when he has to concentrate more? I think the latter...

We wait patiently as Arche browses through the books, Suzu and I both by the door and ready to attack anyone that tries to enter. I can't believe we're stealing from the elves like this... At least we'll return it, right?

"I found it!" Arche squeals. "Princess Kalinthra of Heimdall... born August 29, 2529. Let's get outta here!"

We all huddle around the ninja and Aska disappears, throwing us back into darkness. "Shadow Storm!" I can kinda see the leaves blowing around us... but more than anything I can feel the wind. Soon enough, we're in the bright light of Brambert's house. I cover my eyes, trying to protect my vision from the sudden change.

"Welcome back," Cless greets us.

"We got them!" the witch announces cheerfully as she holds up the old-looking book. It has a worn leather cover and the pages look like their about to fall out. All of our group is here—only Brambert's missing. "I'll start reading and see what I can find!"

"All right. Let us know if you need anything, Arche-chan," Mint says.

"Okay!" Arche sits down at the table and the rest of us wait around in silence. What are we supposed to do while she reads, we can't really do anything... Arche flips through the pages. "Uhhn... most of it's damaged... It's so old that many of the words are blotted out... I wouldn't be surprised if pages are missing."

"Just do your best, Arche..." the steed encourages.

"Ah, here's something about Martel! Let's see... EHHHHHH?!"

"What?!" the rest of us chorus, leaning forward.

"M-Martel's a half elf!"

"What?! No way...!"

"If that's the case, then why do people discriminate against half elves so much?!" I demand. That doesn't seem right... Everyone reveres Martel, but look at other half elves like dirt! They shouldn't be treated like that in the first place!

"Wow... she wasn't even a goddess to begin with! Just a normal half elf... She became a goddess a little over 2000 years when this was written, from the looks of it..."

"That'd be before recorded history..." the history buff speaks up. "Anything before the ancient war between the kingdoms isn't in our records anymore, but anything from the year 2000 and before is completely lost..."

"This was written sometime after 2529... so over two thousand years before that would be before...!"

"We wouldn't even have numbers for that time... we don't know what the world was like then, or if people were even living. But if Martel was a half elf at that time, then that must mean that there was _something_..."

Arche nods and continues reading. "I can't read any more of this page... Let's see... Ah! Here's something I can read... 'Today was the end of our paradise'... There's something about magitechnology going out of control or something, but I can't tell what happened..." She sighs and flips the page, scanning the next one. She flips again, and again, not finding anything. We wait patiently as she scrolls through the pages. "Geez, this book is way too old!" Arche complains as she turns the page again and—what the?! The symbols on it are moving around—no, _jumping_ around! Arche yelps and jumps up as the symbols leap off the page, straight at her!

"Arche!"

Milard grabs the book and slams it closed, and the symbols all stop moving. We stare at the ink blots on the table, chair, and ground, astonished.

"W-what was that...?" Arche ventures.

"It must've been a curse... Someone probably didn't want you to read the next part," the meerkat explains. "Arche, how are you feeling? You're not hurt, are you?"

"I feel perfectly fine! It was only ink jumping around, right?"

"I hope so... we should probably see a doctor to make sure nothing else happened to you," Dad suggests as he picks up the book. "I'm going to ask Lord Brambert about this... Why don't the rest of you head to bed? Lord Brambert said there were some extra bedrooms upstairs."

Dad leads the way upstairs, and we follow. He walks to the last door on the right, while we enter two open doors before that—the girls enter the first room. As Arche enters, I grab her wrist. "Arche, are you sure you're okay?"

"What, are you worried about me?" she teases. "I'm fine! Good night, boys!" The witch spins around and enters the room, closing the door behind her.

"Like you're one to talk," Cless mutters from behind me. "_You're_ the one getting sick..."

"Shut up. I'm not getting sick!" I storm past him and into our room, where Dhaos has already claimed a bed. There are only two beds in here, but there are mats set out on the floor for us...

Cless removes his sword from his belt and sits down on one of the mats. I put my own weapon next to his and sit down on the other mat—seniority should get the bed, right? Heh, it's been so long since we first joined up... so much has happened...

Ow... I don't feel so good... My stomach hurts a little...

"Chester, are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

"You're not getting sick again, are you?"

"I said I'm fine!" It still hurts, though... I can't get sick! I refuse to!

"Chester..." Cless mutters; I turn away from my friend and lay down, pulling the covers over myself. "Don't push yourself, okay...?"

Seconds later, the door burst open, and Dad walks in the room. "Well, Lord Brambert took the records off our hands... He says he wants to study them. So then, why don't we head back to Euclid in the morning? Sardon wanted us to come back, so we should at least see what he has in store. Plus we need to take Arche for a doctor check-up to make sure the curse didn't do anything to her."

"That sounds like a good plan. What'll we do after that, though...?" questions the swordsman.

"We only have one hint... Martel was originally a normal half elf. I suggest we investigate it—if we find out how she became a goddess, we may be able to find a way to save the Giant Kharlan Tree."

"So we're traveling even further into the past?!" I demand. Geez, that'll be over six thousand years before our time...

"It's the only lead we have right now. What do you say, Dhaos? Are you joining us on our trip to the past?"

"Might as well. I don't have any other way of saving Derris-Kharlan."

"Then it's settled. We'll talk to the girls about it in the morning!" Dad decides. He then sits on his bed and takes his shoes off, preparing for bed. I close my eyes... I can't show Dad that I'm in pain or he'll worry again. Cless already knows, and Dhaos doesn't care anyway... no one else needs to know about this! It's probably just from using so much energy after dying... I'll cut back on the skills until I'm feeling better.

So Martel was a half elf... she wasn't originally a goddess... What about Fenrir, Odin, Thor, and Heimdall, then? Were _they_ originally gods...? How does one just become a god or goddess? I don't understand... And just what are we going to do about Yggdrasil and the Giant Kharlan Tree? And—oww, I'm not feeling well... I'll be fine, though... I've faced tougher things than this. This'll pass soon enough... maybe it'll be better in the morning... Rest will definitely help.

I close my eyes and slowly let myself slip into sleep...

**Chester and Cless gained the title of Best Friends Forever. No matter what, we'll always be friends!**

**Dhaos gained the title of Cold-****Hearted Man. It is a title given to one who brushes off things even as sweet and innocent as flowers.**

**Arche gained the title of Translator. It is a title given to one who translates words from one language to another.**


	37. Test Subject

**EDIT: I made a mistake with the years... sorry! I changed it... Merilynn was from year 2541, not 2141 (as it previously said). But that is fixed now! Please let me know if I missed changing it in another chapter!**

**EDIT: As stated before (in case you're already passed that part by the time of the change), I made a _huge_ mistake when describing magic... I switched internal and external magic. My excuse? The English translation absolutely _fails_ at differenciating between them (calling them all 'magic'), so I had to take a stab based on what I knew about elves and humans. Anyway. I fixed that here and (hopefully) in all other chapters. Please let me know if I missed it somewhere!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Tales of games. They are owned by Namco.**

**--Test Subject--**

Someone nudges me gently, but I feel a sting in my shoulder... did I bump something...? Dad's the one nudging me... I pull the covers over my head. "It's too up to be early..."

He's laughing... "Don't you mean 'too early to be up'?"

"What'd I say...?"

"'Too up to be early.' Come on, don't think I'm letting you sleep in! Breakfast is ready!" This is so comfortable, though... "...Chester, get up."

I scowl and push the covers off of myself. "All right, all right..." I yawn and then stand up. I'm tired... maybe breakfast will help. I follow my father downstairs, to the table in the main room, where everyone's already sitting. Dad and I take our seats and I look at our breakfast. Wow, this is a wide assortment of muffins! In the center of the table are all types of fruit-filled muffins for us to grab as we want. I grab a few different types and put them on the plate in front of me.

Hm... definitely not the best muffins I've had... Heh, at least they're better than melon bread!

"Lord Brambert, could you give me the recipe for this?" Mint asks.

"Of course. I'll write it down before you leave."

"Thank you!"

So Mint's going to be making muffins now... She's a good cook, so hopefully she'll make them better...

As we eat, Dad explains the plan to the girls.

"I apologize for the records," Brambert speaks up. "Will you be all right?"

"Yes. Thank you for everything, Lord Brambert!" Cless says, a kind smile on his face. We finish up breakfast and start backing up. Ami now has a sling to hold her hammer on her back... Huh, I wonder what Milard and Dhaos use as weapons... Milard's carrying the pack now.

I see Brambert give the recipe to Mint as we head to the door. "Take care, all of you."

"You take care, too, Lord Brambert!"

"Yeah, next time you see us, it'll be us from this time!" I tell him with a grin.

"Is that so... I'll be sure to welcome you, then!"

"Bye!" We wave and head out, back towards the port.

"So, we're going to Euclid, then?"

"Yeah. Arche, do you mind if we wait until we get there to visit a doctor?"

"I told you, Klarth-sensei, I'm fine! It was just words jumping around, right?"

"We should make sure..."

I notice Cless glance at me and I grin to assure him that I'm all right.

"What do you think Sardon wants to see us for?" questions Milard.

"Well, he said something about an experiment he wanted to show me... I wonder if it'll help us in our travels?"

"I don't know, with someone like Sardon doing the experiment, I'd be kinda scared!" Arche jokes, flying next to Dad on her broom; both of them are behind me, Cless, and Mint. "Are all Lesters like that?"

"How am I supposed to know? I've been cut off from most of my family!" Dad points out. He doesn't mention his father... I guess he'd rather not acknowledge him...

"Chester's your family now, though, right? He's not going to become a crazy researcher, too, is he?"

I spin around so I'm walking backwards. "Hey, I'm not interested in that experimenting stuff! You can leave me out of that loop!"

"Hmmm... I'll simply have to open your eyes to the wonders of researching, then," Dad says. "The pursuit of knowledge is a _wonderful_ thing!"

"Great, I'll let you and any other siblings Ami and I get do that," I reply as I turn back to watch where I'm going.

"And then you shall be pulled in to the research!"

"Hey, don't make me a test subject!" Everyone laughs. Ah, there's the port... we're almost there! I pat my sister's head and start running; "Race ya there!"

"Hey! Onii-chan! Wait up!" I glance back to notice everyone except Dhaos and Suzu running now. Heh, I started something!

Arche zooms by me on her broom—"Hey! Arche, that's cheating!"

"You never said anything against it!" the witch calls back deviously. She reaches the port first, and I reach it second. Next is Ami, then Cless, then Mint, followed by Dad and Milard. As I open the wind pack, Dhaos and Suzu walk up calmly.

"Heehee, I won!"

"You cheated!" I argue with the witch as we board the ship.

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

"Did not!"

"Did too—" Arche suddenly becomes blurry and everything around me fades into darkness—what's going on?! I see something now... a dark, stone room... where is this? It looks to be a bedroom of some sort... There's a large bed with a canopy on one side of the room with a wooden dresser and wooden desk across from it. There's a bookshelf at the end of the bed. The floor of the room is covered with clothes and dolls, and the girl sitting among them stares at them sadly. Hey, it's the thief girl...! She notices me and glances up at me with astonished eyes.

"Y-you! You're back again!"

"Hey... How exactly do I keep coming here?"

"Heehee, I don't know! You always appear and disappear so suddenly..."

"I wish I had some control over it... Anyway, I didn't catch your name last time."

"Oh right! I am Princess Merilynn of Fenrir!" The girl announces proudly.

"Of Fenrir? So that's one of the kingdoms of this time? What year is it...?" It seems unlikely that I would time travel like this, but... Fenrir was a kingdom from the past...

"2541," Merilynn answers. That's four thousand years before my time!

"Wow... I'm really far in the past!" Then again, I'm going to be traveling even further soon...

"I'd say! Have you traveled here to meet anyone...?"

"Like I said, I don't know why I'm here... but so far the only three times are the three you know about."

"Eh? Really?"

"Dad would probably love a chance to talk to the princess of one of the ancient kingdoms..." I mutter. Now if only I knew how to bring him back with me...

"Heh... being a princess isn't all it's made out to be..."

"Huh?" I stare down at the young girl. She's watching the floor... her eyes are puffed up, like she's been crying... I sigh and take a seat on the bed. "All right, what's wrong?"

"W-what do you mean?!"

"You've been crying. Did your father get mad at you for stealing? That's not very princess-like!"

"Oh shut up! What would you know?!"

"Probably more than a royal thief that likes bossing people around."

She jumps to her feet, glaring like she can shoot ice daggers at me with her eyes. "Shut up! You don't know anything! You can run around all you want, and do whatever you want! Not me—I'm trapped in here unless I sneak out! I want to be free!"

"So you steal from people to be free?"

"If that's what it takes to experience life, then yes!"

"You can experience it through other ways than stealing, you know," I tell her. "You were having fun with your friends last time, weren't you?"

"I have to sneak out to see them..." she mumbles. "Daddy won't let me see anyone... I'm lonely most of the time..."

Eh? "Why? Because you're a princess?"

"No... The doctors say I'm sick..."

"Sick? Is it contagious...?" Maybe she got me sick...

"No! No one around me ever gets sick!" Merilynn shoots. "I see the way you're looking—please don't leave me, too!"

"H-hey, I can't help whether I come here or not! I just have a lot to do... I can't afford to get sick!"

"I wish I was well... Hey, Chester, do you think there might be a cure for me in your time?"

"Huh?! Well I don't know... I don't know what you're sick with or what cures doctors have... but there probably is. Only a few things can't be cured nowadays..." I'm time traveling anyway, so... "Why don't I bring Mint to see you once things have settled down where I am? She's a healer, so she should be able to help you!"

"Really?!"

"Why not? We're time traveling anyway!"

"Yay! Thank you so much!" Merilynn cheers as she hugs me. Heh, even if she's a spoiled brat, she's just a little kid. She lets go. "I'll be waiting, so come as soon as you can!"

"Yeah, yeah... Year 2541, right?"

"Yep! Fenrir Castle, Friezkiel!"

Fenrir... I guess that'd be their deity. After all Fenrir did to me, I probably shouldn't help her princess... but Merilynn didn't do anything. Besides, I can't just leave her when she needs help so badly!

Everything goes blurry and I blink—I'm back on the ship! I'm in the bedroom on it... Milard's sitting on the bed next to me. "Chester-kun, are you all right?"

"I'm fine," I answer as I push the covers off of myself and sit up. "What happened?"

"You got sick again... Chester-kun, is this really the third time you've fainted? Why haven't you told us?"

Ack, Cless told them... he said he would if it happened again... "It's probably just from all of the energy I've been using."

"It can't be just that! Your body seems to be freezing every time, and you become as pale as a ghost! You can't tell us that it's nothing!" Milard argues. "Everyone's really worried about you... You're going to see the doctor as soon as we arrive in town."

"I don't need to see a doctor!"

"Yes you do! This is getting dangerous... you could die again!"

"I feel fine, though!"

"And what will you do if you faint when we're fighting the gods?"

Ack, she has a point... "Fine, I'll go in for a checkup! Let's get to Euclid first, though!"

"All right... Can you stand?"

I push myself up out of bed to show her that I can. My bow and arrows are by the door... I set them on my back and then walk up above deck, with Milard following me. Back out in the open, the sea breeze blows against me and I notice that we're docking in Venezia. Noticing me, Ami and Suzu rush over.

"Onii-chan! How are you feeling?"

"Great! Let's hurry to Euclid, okay?"

"Okay!"

The rest of the group walks over once the ship's fully docked, and we walk off of it. I store it in the wing pack.

"Now then, we need to find a doctor..." Dad mutters.

"Not until we get to Euclid!" I correct him.

"Chester, you need to see a doctor _now_."

"Klarth..." Milard puts a hand on him to calm him down, and Dad turns to stare at her. "He's agreed to see a doctor, but not until we get to Euclid."

"Well, at least you agreed..." my father mumbles to me. "Suzu, do you mind warping us to Euclid?"

Huh?! Hey wait a minute! "_Dad_!"

"All right." The ninja begins concentrating on her skill... "Shadow Storm!" Leaves swirl around us, and we teleport from Venezia to Euclid in a matter of seconds. So much for stalling... Why do I have to have a smart father?

We're next to Sardon's house... "Let's ask him where a doctor is," Dad suggests as he knocks on the door.

"NO WAIT STOP!" Sardon's voice yells before there's a loud bang on the door and it falls down at our feet. Erm...

The thing that knocked it down is a little creature... he's so small, he could probably fit in Dad's hat! Hey wait, I've seen this thing before... It was on the Viva! Tales of! It's a small, blue creature that looks sorta like a rabbit, only with a more human-like face. It has long ears that are white at the end, and its face is mostly white. Around its stomach is a golden ring... "Hello!" the creature greets with a high-pitched, girly voice. "You must be guests!"

"MIEU!" Sardon yells, storming up behind the creature. "You broke down the door!"

"I-I'm sorry, Master! I was trying to answer it..."

"What is this?" Dad asks as he squats down, staring at the creature.

"Ah! This is my artificial summon spirit! His name's Mieu! I have a pact ring for him, too... I left that downstairs, hold on!"

"Wait," Dad says as he grabs Sardon's arm. "Before that, we have something more urgent... We need to know where we can find a doctor."

"Ehhhh? Are you sick, Klarth-san?!"

"I'm not, but Chester is and Arche might be."

"I'm not sick!" I protest.

"L-let's hurry then! We have to see Cathy right away—she's a doctor! She's at her office—come on, now!" Sardon hurries past us, ignoring the broken door. He leads us through the town, I guess towards the doctor's office...

Before long, he leads us into a white building. This is definitely a doctor's office... There's a counter up front with two secretaries and a waiting area to the left, where many people are sitting quietly; there are only four open chairs. Sardon storms up to the front counter. "We need to see Cathy!"

"Oh, hello Sardon," one of the secretaries greets, her hazel eyes watching him with amusement. "What do you need?"

"These people need to see Cathy quickly!"

"Sorry, but they'll have to wait just like everyone else."

"These people are heroes! They don't have _time_ to wait! They need to hurry to save Aselia!"

The blonde secretary behind the one talking to us laughs. "Is this another one of your fantasies, Sardon? I'm sorry if the rest of you are caught up in his delusions..."

"THIS IS NOT A DELUSION! They're from the year 6548!"

"Here, could you fill this out for us and put the names of the patients on this?" The brunette secretary—the one in the front—asks us as she passes us a few sheets of paper. Dad takes the—whoa, is that a feather pen?! Wow, we're _definitely_ in the past! I watch as Dad writes mine and Arche's names down on the last sheet and then starts to fill out the others. Let's see... ah, this looks to be one of those patient record things... where they ask you _everything_...

"Why can't se see Cathy now?!" demands Sardon.

"She's busy. She has other patients, you know."

"But—"

"It's all right," Cless interrupts the scientist. "Thank you, Sardon-san, but we'll wait. Chester, Arche, why don't you two sit down?"

I throw a glare at Cless, but I sit down anyway. It's too late to try arguing... Arche sits down in one of the empty seats next to me, and Ami in the other. Mint takes the last empty seat, which is across from us, while everyone else stands. One of the secretaries calls a patient back, opening up two more seats—Milard sits down, and Dad sits next to her, finished filling out forms. We wait in silence...

I glance around the room. There are pictures hanging on the wall, a few of them with words about health... Geez, even in the past doctor's offices were like this, just with older materials! Arche squirms a little in her seat next to me, her face red. "Arche? Are you feeling sick or something?" I whisper, not wanting to break the odd silence.

"N-no!" She stares at her hands. What's she so nervous about...? "These posters are funny, don't'cha think?"

"Huh? Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm perfectly fine!"

"Okay..." Sheesh, she's so strange... "I don't see what the point of you coming here is. I don't think even a doctor would be able to cure you!"

"Hey! What do you mean by that?!"

"Oh nothing!" I grin. Heh, it's so fun picking on her!

"Jerk!"

"Ditz!"

"Sardon," one of the secretaries calls out, "Cathy wants to see you."

"All right!" the young man cheers. "I told you! I'll be right back!" He opens the door to the back and rushes through. "Hey, Cathy!"

The rest of us continue waiting in silence. Well, hopefully this'll be quick and they'll find out that I'm not sick... It's taking a while for them to call us, though. I hope we don't have to wait here too long...

"Arche and Chester?" One of the secretaries says. "Cathy's ready to see you." Our group stirs and we follow her to the back. Huh, there's only two rooms... There's not even a hallway. The waiting room leads directly to the doctor's office, where Cathy's saying goodbye to her previous patient. Sardon's also standing in here. There are three chairs—one for the doctor, one for the patient, and one for a guest. This room has a lot less than what I'm used to in a doctor's office... There's a closed door on the right side of the room.

"Hello," Cathy greets us as the other patient leaves. "I'm very sorry for the wait..."

"No, it's fine," Mint assures the woman.

"Will you two sit down?" the doctor asks me and Arche, and we each take a seat. "Sardon said you were sick, but no more than that... Did something happen, or is it a common disease?"

"For Arche, we think it might be a curse if anything. For Chester, we're not sure..." Dad goes on to explain first the curse placed on the book Arche read, then about me fainting.

"A curse..." mutters the doctor as she thinks. "We'll need a blood sample from Arche, then. We might as well get one from you, Chester, while we're at it... just in case." She pulls a small knife out of a halter I hadn't noticed before on her apron. "Can I see your non-dominate hand?" she asks Arche, who nervously holds out her left hand. Cathy takes it in her hand and uses the knife to prick Arche's finger. She lets a few drops of blood drip into a container, which she hands to her husband along with the knife. The doctor then wraps Arche's finger up with a small cloth.

"I'll be right back!" Sardon says as his wife begins cleaning the knife. He walks through the door leading further back.

"Where's he going?" I question.

"Sardon helps me here by doing magic blood tests for curses... Most curses can be found in the blood, and he's able to recognize them. If they're not very strong, we can use a dispel or something to get rid of them," Cathy explains, her voice soft. Once she's finished cleaning off the knife, she walks over to me. "Your turn now."

I hold out my left hand and wait patiently as she pricks my finger. She places the knife down and picks up a container, which some of my blood drips into. She finishes and begins wrapping up my finger; Sardon re-enters the room. "Cathy! I don't recognize the curse!" the researcher whines.

"So there _is_ a curse on Arche, then?" questions Cless.

"No doubt about it! It's not a normal one, though... It combines elements of other curses. Whoever made this must've been a curse-mastermind!"

"I should hope there is no such person..." mutters Sardon's wife.

"It's surprisingly strong for such an odd one! Well, there's a strong visual component of it, so either something will happen to your vision or looking at something will set it off." Sardon exchanges the container with Arche's blood for the one with mine. "Be back again! Wait for me!" He returns to the other room.

"So I'm cursed..." mutters Arche.

"Don't worry, Arche-chan, we'll find a way to remove the curse!" Mint assures her best friend.

Cathy puts her hand to my forehead next. "It's not hot..."

"I tried that after he fainted once," Dad speaks up. "Instead of being hot, his head was as cold as ice."

"That's strange..." She takes my right hand and checks my pulse next. "Pulse is normal..." She begins concentrating, a soft magic flowing from her body to engulf mine. What is this?! After a moment, it disappears. "There's definitely something strange going on with your body..."

That's _not_ what I wanted to hear...

"Chester..."

"He died recently, and we brought him back with a resurrection spell," Mint offers. "Do you think that's the cause?"

"I'm afraid I don't know... I've never seen someone who's been brought back from the dead or the effects it has on the body."

"CATHY!" Sardon yells as he throws open the door and rushes in. "Cathy! L-look at this!" Sardon hands a sheet of paper to his wife. He's very distressed... that's a bad sign...

"What is it?" Dad asks, worry in his voice and eyes.

"I-I've never seen anything this strong!" Sardon exclaims. "From the looks of it in that sample, I'm willing to bet that the magic's that strong in the rest of his body!"

"What exactly is it...?" Dad dares to ask.

"That's the oddest thing... You're a human, right?"

"Yeah. Why?" I'm a little nervous... what'd he find?

"This isn't a normal curse... It acts completely different from all types of magic... It's not like anything I've ever seen!"

"So then what's wrong with me? What's going on?!"

"The magic in your blood isn't like any other magic type!"

"I don't understand that at all!"

"There are multiple types of magic," Dad explains. "There's magic of the world, the mana that flows from Yggdrasil and keeps everything alive... Elves are able to manipulate that to conjure up their offensive spells, which usually use the elements of the world around them. I also draw on that magic in a way—the summon spirits that I use each have their own individual mana that's strong enough to change the world around them. Then there's internal magic... that's what clerics like Mint draw on to heal people. They use power inside themselves and transfer it to others, thus healing them. Next are the skills like you and Cless use—those take knowledge combined with raw power, similar to the mana clerics use; however, by focusing on something specific, such as your arrows, you can transform it into useful skills to help you in battle. Finally, there are curses and buffs—they're two sides of the same gal; curses work to cause ruin in the body, while buffs work to aid the body. As Cathy said, most curses flow in the bloodstream, though others, such as blind, focus on one specific area... the latter are easier to get rid of. Curses and buffs are more like Milard's runes—they draw on magic from the world, usually using ancient, magical symbols. They're also weaker than the other types of magic because they have a set amount of magic put into them, magic that wears off over time. Therefore, while it can be difficult, most curses will heal with time. As far as we know, those are the only types of magic."

"Right!" Sardon agrees. "But the magic in your blood isn't like _any_ of those! It's a new type! ...You'd make the perfect research experiment! Cathy, can I keep him?!"

"NO!" I yell. Geez... These researchers are scary!

"Sardon, he has a world to save..."

"Oh right! We need to figure out what these curses are! Or... curse and other thingy."

"Until we find out exactly what they are, we won't know how to cure them..." Cathy mumbles. "We'll try treating Arche's like a complex blind... Even if it's not, the medicine won't hurt her." The doctor opens a cabinet, where it seems all of her medicines are kept, and she searches for one. After a minute, she finds it and pulls it out, handing it to the half elf. "Take two pills every day for a week. After that, I'd like to see you again to see if the curse has worn off. Go ahead and take the first two now."

"All right!" Arche agrees as she opens the bottle and dumps two pills in her hand. Sardon hands her some water.

"As for you, Chester..." Cathy rummages through the medicine, searching for something else. "Sardon, what type of magic is it most like?"

"I'd say a mix between a curse and... bad internal magic with something else mixed in."

The doctor sighs and pulls out two bottles. "I don't know if this'll help, but... If the magic in your body reacts the same as most, then these should weaken it. You need to take three of each a day..."

"Six pills a day?" I moan.

"This should only delay its effect on you. We'll have to do more research to figure out an actual cure... I need to know about all of the symptoms you've shown since the start of this in order to research it. Let me write down what I've found so far, though..." Cathy begins writing on a sheet of paper while I open one of the two bottles of pills. I shake three into my hand and Sardon hands me a cup of water. I put one in my mouth and drink the water, washing the pill down. I continue doing that for the other five I have to take. Geez, this is a pain... I hope this helps, though... I can't afford to be sick! Milard takes the bottles of pills from me and Arche and stores them in the pack.

"You said he faints sometimes?" Cathy inquires.

"Yeah. He turns as pale as a ghost and his skin grows cold..." Dad answers.

"And how do you feel at those times, Chester?"

"Perfectly fine. Though it's odd... All three times, I saw this little princess brat from the year 2541."

"...What?!"

"Chester, why didn't you tell us this before?!"

"I didn't think it was important!"

"Of course it's important!" argues Dad. "Chester, you need to tell us these things! Who is this girl? What have you seen?"

"Princess Merilynn of Fenrir, from the year 2541... Somehow I seem to travel to her time, but neither of us know how. She's been there all three times, but her friends were there the first two times..." They look confused. "Erm, let me back up..." I tell them about the visions, starting from when I first saw the little thief and the prince. I wonder if he's her brother...? When I'm finished, they pause, considering this information.

"Do you think the girl has the same disease?" questions Mint.

"I dunno... I'll ask her next time."

"What else have you felt?" questions the doctor.

"Nothing really... just that."

"I take it you've been exercising a lot?"

"I've been walking all over Aselia for weeks... Not to mention fight or running from danger."

"And your diet?"

"Sometimes meals have been interrupted, but lately I've been able to have full meals. Though Brambert's food wasn't that good..."

"Really? I thought it was great!" says Cless.

"Yeah, Brambert's a really good cook!" my sister agrees.

"It wasn't that good... it was bland," I argue.

"That's how potatoes usually are," Milard offers.

"So you've been having a lot of food lately... Let me know if anything in your diet changes."

"We're going to be time traveling soon," Klarth points out.

"I'll handle that!" Sardon announces proudly. "I have a device that _should_ let us communicate, no matter what time you're in! I'll show you that when we're done here!"

"Speaking about time traveling, has that had any effect on any of you?"

"Not unless Chester's disease is caused by it," answers my father.

"All right... Well, there's nothing more I can do until I research this. I want both of you to let me know how the medicine works and if anything changes... Come back in a week so I can see if there's any change."

"All right," I say. I glance over at Arche, who seems to be engrossed in the label on her medicine bottle. "Hey, Arche?"

"Huh?!" She pops up, surprised.

"Are you okay?"

"Yep! Er, so what now?" Geez, she wasn't paying any attention...

"You're coming with me!" Sardon declares, excited.

"Huh?!"

"We're going to see what Sardon has for us now..." Dad explains. "Cathy, how much do we owe you?"

"Nothing. I'm happy to have been able to help you... I'm sorry I couldn't help any more..."

"We'll do research! We'll figure out what these curses are, no matter what!" Sardon shouts.

"Thank you... Thank you both so much!" Cless says.

"Come on now! I _have_ to show this to you! Oh, and get the pact ring!" We wave bye to Cathy and follow Sardon back to his house. The door's still broken, and Mieu's pacing around inside.

"Welcome back, Master!" the creature greets.

"Thanks Mieu! You guys wait up here—I'll go get the pact ring and communication thingy!" The young man rushes downstairs, to his basement.

"So you're both cursed..." mutters Cless.

"I'm sorry I can't do anything for you..." the dove says.

"It's fine! It hasn't affected me at all yet!" Arche points out.

"Yeah, and I feel fine."

"Yours troubles me, Chester," Dad speaks up. "A new magic... that could be very dangerous. We have no clue what it'll do..."

"We don't know what caused it, either," Suzu points out.

"Or how to cure it," adds the meerkat.

"Keh, we didn't learn anything," Dhaos says coldly. "We don't know what either curse does. For all we know, their bodies could be taken over when we least expect it!"

"...You obviously haven't met Odin," says the steed.

"Yeah, that's his forte," the tiger agrees. "Anyway, that's already happened to at least three of us. We're learning how to deal with that problem, so it'd no worse than if Odin himself were to attack us. I'm worried about something more serious happening..."

"Nothing too bad has happened yet! I haven't fainted or gotten amnesia or anything like Chester, so that's a good sign!"

"Hey, shut up! Geez, the perfect curse for you would be to give you a personality change!"

"I think _you're_ the one that needs that! Why can't you be _nice_ for once?!"

"You're the one that started this!"

"Now, now, you two..." Dad calls us down while Ami giggles.

Sardon returns with a book in his hands. "Here you go!" He hands it to Dad along with a pact ring. The ring, like all of his others, is made of silver with a large stone on it. The stone on this one is amber with black stripes. "That's the Tigers-eye Ring!"

"Tiger, eh? Appropriate," I joke.

"I'll do my best to serve you, New Master!" Mieu says happily.

"Sardon, are you sure it's all right for me to take Mieu? He's your greatest experiment, isn't he?"

"Yes, but... If he can help you save the world, he'll fulfill a better role than anyone could ever imagine," Sardon says, sounding serious for once. He pauses, his eyes not meeting anyone; he then jumps up and excitedly exclaims, "And he can tell me all about different time periods! It'll be sooooooo cool! He can tell everyone about your adventures!"

"I'll be sure to bring him back when it's all over, then," Dad promises.

"All right, Mieu! Be good for Klarth-san!"

"I will! I'll do my best to help!" Mieu says happily as the summoner puts the ring on his finger. He holds it out and Mieu vanishes in an orange light that flies into the ring.

"And the second thing!" Sardon yells as he holds the book up in the air and then passes it to Dad. "This was originally meant to be a time travel device, but... Heh heh, that never worked! So we'll try communicating with it! Just write my name and the year and day you want it to start at the top of the page—it'll only open to one page! After that, it _should_ keep track of how much time is passed and we'll be able to communicate like we're in the same time period!"

"I take it you have one, too, then?" my father inquires as he opens up the book.

"Yep! It's down in my Super-Awesome-Research-of-Greatness-Facility!" Sardon proudly replies.

"...You mean your basement," I state dryly.

"It's my Super-Duper-Awesome-Experiment-Facility!" he yells angrily.

"You changed the name!"

"Did not!"

"Can I see the 'facility'?" Arche asks sweetly.

"Nope! It's only for me, Cathy, and experiments! Though you can see it if you become a test subject!"

"What kinds of experiments are these?"

"Are you crazy?!" I demand. "Wait, never mind, I already know the answer..."

"What?! Idiot!"

"So then, where are you off to next?" Sardon questions us.

"We're going further into the past to meet Martel."

"Great! As soon as you get there, test out the communication device! Oh, you can use it as a weapon, too! The spells are encrypted in the pages that are attached together, so it'll hold up no matter what you do it! Well, unless you put a hole through it..."

"What's today?"

"Oh right! It's August 26, 4304!"

Dad writes in the book and then closes it, turning to Cless. "Shall we get going, then? Thank you for all of your help, Sardon."

"No problem! We'll research those curses, so keep in touch! See ya!"

"Bye!" We wave to the researcher and walk outside, where Cless holds up the Eternal Sword. The rest of us wait patiently... What will the world be like before recorded time, six and a half thousand years before we were born? We're about to find out...

"Klarth-san, what town should I transport us to?"

"We'll probably want to go to Yggdrasil, so Miguel."

"All right. O mighty Sword of Time, take us to 4304 years ago, before recorded time, to the city of Miguel!"

Blue light blinks up around us, wind swirling violently. I notice Sardon wave at us before we get transported through the rift in time and space.

**Klarth gained the title of Wise Man. No one beats him in the realm of wisdom!**

**Arche gained the title of Oblivious. What happened...?**

**Chester gained the title of Test Subject. Everyone wants to experiment on him!**

**Ami learned Coil.**

**Klarth can now summon Mieu.**

**Klarth received the Tigers-Eye Ring.**

**Klarth received the Communication Book.**


	38. Half Elf Protector

**--Half Elf Protector--**

The light disappears and—ack! I hit the water... Dad is also in the small stream from the looks of it. Somehow, Suzu's standing on the rail of the small bridge next to us, and the rest are standing on or next to the bridge—except Arche, who's flying above all of us on her broom. How did _we_ manage to hit the water?! "Chester, Klarth-san, are you two okay?!" Cless asks.

"Yeah... just fine..." We stumble out of the water and on to dry land. I finally take a look around.

Wow... is this really Miguel?! It's so old, and there are barely any houses here! To my right is a small pavilion with a tree. There's a path in front of me that leads around the pavilion and another small stream—a stream I've never seen before—towards a well. The unfamiliar stream is more of a moat around a small, wooden house with a straw roof with a stone path leading towards it. On this side of both streams, to my right, is what looks to be a ninja selling things with a pet dog.

...Wait, a ninja?!

Across the bridge is another house, and on the far side of it I see crops. There are a few people here—all staring at us—but their clothes remind me more of...

"Hey Cless, are you sure we're not in Japoni?"

"It certainly looks like Japoni..." the swordsman agrees.

"This is no doubt our culture," Suzu speaks up as she stares at the people. "The layout is also similar... This may be Japoni in the past."

Ah great. These are ninjas... they're pulling out daggers on us, glaring us down. "H-hold on!" Cless calls out. "We come in peace!"

"How'd you find this place? Who are you?!" one of them demands.

"Calm down," Suzu speaks up. "We come from the future. Is this town either Miguel or Japoni?"

"Or Toltus..." Cless adds.

"This is a secret village that outsiders are not allowed to step in unless given permission!"

"Japoni, then," Suzu confirms quietly.

The ninjas look like they're about to attack! "Suzu, I don't think we have time for talk! Let's get outta here!"

"Where to?!"

"Alvanista—let's talk to the king of this time!" Cless suggests.

"All right..." As Suzu begins concentrating, the ninjas lunge at us. "Shadow Storm!" Leaves swirl around us just in time and we teleport away. Phew...

Now then, the Alvanista of this time...

We're on a beach with many people having a good time. Upon our sudden arrival, they turn to stare at us, awe-struck. I can see the city to our right... but where's the castle?! That tall building on the right sure as heck doesn't _look_ like a castle!

We follow the beach around to a set of blue stairs that lead into the city... or _is_ this a city? I don't see any houses... There are shops to the right, where the entrance is, and a large, concrete and glass building ahead of us. To our left, the path loops around and there's a bridge across the ocean water, leading to what looks to be a transport system... Wow, it looks really modern! "Are you sure this is the past?"

"Trust me, Chester, I'm wondering the same thing you are..." mutters my best friend.

"This place looks fun, though! Maybe we should get some bathing suits and spend time on the beach while we're here!" Arche suggests. Heh, that _would_ be nice... but we have too much to do!

"Let's go in this building and see if they can tell us where the king is," Dad suggests. We walk in the large building.

...This is _not_ a castle. There's a counter in the center with a receptionist. In the center of her circular counter area, there's a strange light that looks like a teardrop... The path is circular, leading to another counter on the left and—an elevator?! Wait a second, but this should be the past...! The area below the walkway is water, with decorations of palm trees with lights in them and stones with waterfalls. The glass shows the ocean outside... Where are we?! Dad walks up to the counter.

"Welcome to Hotel Lezareno," the woman behind the counter greets us. "It is 400 gald a night. Would you like a room?"

Well at least we know their currency is the same... but what's such a modern-looking hotel doing in the past?!

"No, actually, we're looking for the castle..." Dad explains. "We're new around here."

The woman tilts her head. "The castle's no where around here... Everyone knows where it is..."

We exchange confused glances. So it's not in Alvanista... "Where is it? How do we get to it...?" I ask.

"It's across the ocean. Here, let me get you a map..." The woman digs under the counter until she produces a map, which she places in front of us. "We're here," she says, tapping a small island on the map. Yeah, I can see that... though it sure does look different! "And the castle's here." ...That's the other side of the world! ...Wait a sec!

"Milard...!"

"I'm already getting it," the woman says as she pulls our map out of the pack. We set it down next to the other map and start comparing the two.

"What's that a map of?" the receptionist asks.

"This world in the future," Dad mutters, not paying much attention to her.

To the woman's confusion, Mint explains, "We've traveled back in time from the future... This is the map of our time."

"This is only half of the world!" Dad suddenly exclaims.

"What do you mean 'half'?! How can it only be half of the world?!" That doesn't make any sense!

"Look here... this continent, where Miguel is. That's right here..." He shows me on both maps; on ours, it shows that continent on the left middle of the map, whereas on theirs, it's large and in the top center. "Lone Valley and Venezia aren't even on this map... but Friezkiel—that's this group of islands up here"—he's pointing to a white area in the top center of our map—"is here on their map." Wow, the Friezkiel on their map is more broken up and in the top right... "Then if you come down here to Alvanista," Dad continues as he points to the small island between the continent with Miguel and the largest one, with Heimdall, Morlia, and the Valhalla Plains. "Which would be here on this map..." he switches maps on me. The island is in about the same spot relative to the continents around it, but they're all tilted at a different angle... "That would put Heimdall at about here and Morlia here," Dad continues, pointing, "but Midgard and the Valhalla Plains are no where to be seen! It's like they don't even exist in this time... Freyland—the desert continent with Olive—isn't here, either! This big continent... This is where the castle is?" Dad asks as he taps his finger over the large continent taking up the lower left of this time's map; the receptionist nods, bewildered. "This looks much like Arlee... but on this map, it's shown to be almost twice Arlee's size, not to mention green. Still... that's three large landmasses completely missing!"

"But how...?! They couldn't have just formed, could they, Klarth-san?" questions Cless.

"According to this map," Dad answers, tapping the one the hotel owns, "there's no room for them _to_ form. There's lots of ocean room, but not a single area large enough for Venezia, Valhalla, and Freyland... So then what happened to Aselia...?"

"Aselia? Venezia? Valhalla?" We've more than confused the receptionist.

"This world is Aselia, isn't it?"

"This world is Tethe'alla..."

"The moon?!" we all exclaim at once.

"Huh? The moon's Sylvarant..."

"That's the _other_ moon... Both Tethe'alla _and_ Sylvarant are Aselia's moons..." Dad pauses, thinking about this. "What's this city called?"

"Altamira."

"Everything's completely different, then..." Dad mutters. "The city with the castle, what's it called?"

"Meltokio."

"And is there a dock around here?"

"Yes, there's one just outside of the city."

"Well then, thank you for your time and for letting us look at the map."

"You can keep it if you want. We have extra maps."

"Thank you," Dad says as he folds up both maps—Arche sadly watches them go—and hands them to Milard. We leave the hotel and head out of the city.

The dock isn't far, and not busy at all... it really is nothing more than just a dock. I let our ship out of the wing pack and we board up. Milard, Dad, and Suzu take over directions while I take the wheel. I don't really know what the others are doing... I'm too busy trying to follow the directions these three are giving me, which keeps changing...

"Wait, but if we go west..."

"Will we be able to make it through that shallow area? We should go east..."

"Okay you three, just pick a direction!" I yell.

"Let's go west," Dad decides and I stare at the compass Milard is holding. I turn the ship towards the west and wait as it turns. Once we're headed west, I straighten it out and wait patiently, watching the open sea ahead of me. Suzu leaves the area while Dad and Milard stay here.

Well this is boring... but this world is nice. I'm still confused... what exactly _is_ this world...? Are we really on the moon? Then why does it look so much like Aselia...?

We come up to beaches on each side that I have to curve around. "Look!" Dad calls out as he points to the one on the left. That fog... "That must be Ymir Forest!"

"So then we _are_ on Aselia...!"

"Steer carefully, it's shallow around here," Milard instructs, and I follow her advice. She's right, the ship's having a hard time getting through...

"Hey Dad, can we get some more wind?"

"Right." He begins concentrating on a summon, the green light of his magic circle around him. "I, Klarth F. Lester, summon thee on the right of thy pact, breeze of the Aselian winds... Come, Sylph!" The Sylph twins flow out of the summoner's ring like colored wind and blow behind us. I feel the ship move quicker as Sylph hits the sails.

"Thanks."

We make it out of that area and back out onto open sea. It's getting late now... I can't help but yawn.

"Let me take over," a voice says from behind me: Cless.

"Have fun with it," I tell him as I allow him to take the wheel and back off. I'll go see what the others are doing... or maybe get some rest...

I walk below deck and into the dining area, where I find Ami, Suzu, Mint, and Arche. "Chester! Would you like something to eat?" Mint offers—she's standing behind the bar. I take a seat next to Arche since my sister's in the middle.

"Yeah, how about a hamburger?"

"All right!"

"Eh? Not a cheeseburger, Onii-chan?" Ami questions, confused.

"I feel like having a plain hamburger today," I reply.

The princess giggles. "And what would you like to drink with that?"

I have half a mind to say a beer just to see how she'll react, but... "I'll take some water."

"Okay, coming right up!" Mint retreats into the kitchen.

"So are we really on the moon?" Arche asks.

"I don't think so," I answer. "We saw Ymir Forest outside... Or at least, we're pretty sure it's Ymir Forest."

"Plus the maps are too similar," adds the ninja. "Besides the fact that half of the world's missing, everything else is exactly where it should be and the same shape... On top of that, we used two teleportation skills. It seems unlikely that they'd both fail."

"Something must've happened to this world, then..." the weasel concludes.

"This is six thousand years in the past, right? Maybe the world's just changed a lot over six thousand years!" suggests Ami.

"But Dad said there's not enough room for the three missing continents..."

"O-oh, right..."

"This world also has only one moon from the sound of it," Arche points out. "And this world is called Tethe'alla... Gaah, this doesn't make any sense!"

"I don't think you're capable of grasping it," I joke. "Ow!" She kicked me... "You didn't have to kick me!"

"Hmph! I'm not talking to you!"

"Oh yeah, way to be mature there," I mutter sarcastically.

"Idiot! I hate you!" Arche yells as she punches my arm. She can't punch very hard...

"Was that supposed to hurt? Weakling!"

"I'll show you something that hurts..." Arche mutters as magic starts flowing around her. Ah great...

"Arche-san, please don't hurt Onii-chan... he already has that strange curse on him..."

"Tell him not to be such a jerk then!" the witch demands as she stops charging up; she folds her arms and plops against the back of her seat, angry.

"I'll stop being a jerk when you stop being an idiot. How's that?"

"Look who's talking, idiot!"

"Chester-san," Mint speaks up as she pokes her head out the kitchen door, "what do you want on your hamburger?"

"Nothing. Plain is fine."

"All right." She retreats, but seconds later she comes back out with my plate and drink. She sets them in front of me and smiles kindly; "Here you go!"

"Thanks," I say as I pick up the hamburger and start eating. "Mint, your cooking is always so good! I'm glad you're part of the team!"

"Oh stop it... it's not that good..."

"Mint-san, will you teach me how to cook?" Ami asks.

"Of course!"

"Yay!"

"You're always the cook on the ship," Suzu points out. "It's almost as if you're starting your own business..."

"R-really?"

"Yeah, Mint's the ship chef! You just need menus!" Arche agrees.

"Maybe we'll make some next time, then..."

"All right! I'll help!"

"Me, too!"

Heh, Suzu and I are the only ones who aren't getting excited by this... She looks to be a little amused by the other's reactions, though. Good, maybe she's loosening up some...

There's a knock on the door and Dhaos walks in. "We're there," he announces.

"All right, just let Chester-san finish his food and we'll be up," the dove says kindly. Dhaos scowls and turns around, walking out. Geez, I hate that guy!

"Onii-chan..." my sister speaks up. "Why is he always so serious?"

"Who, you mean Dhaos? He's just a big stick in the mud."

"Is he sad...?"

"Who cares?!"

"We should help him, Onii-chan! If he's sad, we should help make him happy again, right?!"

Wha?! "Ami, stay away from him! He's dangerous!"

"But he's our teammate, isn't he?"

"Keh, I don't care! I hate him! Just stay away from him, okay?!" Conversation dropped. I continue eating the last few bites of my hamburger.

"But he's lonely..." I hear my sister mumble. Geez... she just doesn't get it. I'm not going to let that Dhaos get anywhere near my sister!

I eat the last bite. "I'm finished," I announce as I stand up. Mint takes my empty plate and cup away and the rest of us head above deck. Here, the others are waiting for us. We're at a port and—

"Whoa! Look at that!" Arche exclaims, pointing. I see what she means... There's a long bridge to our right... It's the largest and longest bridge I've _ever_ seen! I can't even see where it ends!

"Wow..."

"From the looks of it, there's a city just ahead," Dad says, pointing. He's right... Ah! And there's the castle!

"That must be Meltokio! Let's go!" We clamor off the ship and I store it in the wing pack. Safely stored, we walk towards Meltokio.

There's a pair of wolves going after Cless! "Cless, watch out!" I call as I pull out my bow and aim at the wolves. "Piercing Line!" I call out and my arrow, charged with energy, goes straight through both of them. They're still alive...! Cless and Suzu each draw their weapons and hack at the wolves.

I notice runes form in the air—Milard's using a feather pen to create them! "Power Seal!"

"Demon Fist!" Dhaos yells as he punches and a blast of energy that looks much like Demon Fang's blast charges along the ground.

"Aegis Strike!" Cless uses his sword to create a barrier that the wolves run in to—one of them falls.

"Pow Hammer!" my sister calls out, and a hammer falls onto the remaining wolf, stunning it. I release another arrow as Suzu slashes at it, and it falls to the ground, dead.

"We did it!" Ami cheers. "Did you see that, Onii-chan?!"

"Yeah, but I'm the one that killed it!" I tease.

"I-I'll kill the next one!"

"Keh, not with your weak attacks!"

"Hey, Onii-chan! I'm getting better!" Ami yells angrily. "Tell him, Dad!"

"She _is_ getting better... she's been practicing a lot."

"Hey, don't take her side just because she's younger!"

Dad chuckles. "Let's get to the city."

Keh, backing out already...

"It's getting late... we should probably wait until morning to see the king," Milard suggests.

"Yes... Father never liked it when he had visitors late at night," agrees the princess.

"Then let's find the inn," Cless decides and we walk into the city.

The city is surrounded on all sides by a beige wall, and an intricate copper gate is closed at the front of the wall. There are two guards surrounding it, but after checking our party and our bag, they let us through. The streets are light by lights—whoa, these are modern... they had this kind of technology back in this time?! Or are we in the future...? Anyway, there's a stairs that lead up, and I can see that they keep leading up ahead, all the way to the castle. There are also streets going to the right and left, which lead to houses and shops. There are banners around, and plants to make the city look pretty. Just to the right of the stairs we see a house with a blue roof and blue carpet out front which is labeled as the inn. We enter it.

The inside is terra cotta with a red rug in the center of the lobby. There's a counter on the back side of the room with a young lady standing behind it, and behind her are books and a door leading to the back area. There's a window to the right of the counter, but you can't really see much out of it. The couch on the right side of the room is red, like the rug, and it has a wooden end table with a blue vase. On the left side of the room is a set of stairs that leads up and around behind the desk with a red carpet running up it. Dad walks up to the counter and asks for two rooms.

After he pays, we head up the stairs; Dad with the key to our room and Milard with the key to the girls' room. The girls enter the first room while we head down the hall to the second.

The room's pretty small, but there are just enough beds for all four of us. There's also a table with a white cloth over it and a set of blue chairs around it. There's one wardrobe in the corner of the room. Dad and Dhaos sit in the chairs while Cless and I each sit on one of the four white beds. I yawn. "Well, I guess tomorrow we'll figure out exactly where we are, right?"

"Yes, along with asking the king about Martel," my father agrees.

"Are you sure he knows anything? Half elves aren't well-liked..." I point out.

"She had to do something special to become a goddess in the first place, right?" Cless points out.

"If nothing else, we can learn about this world and where the half elves stand," Dad agrees.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" questions the angel, and we all stare at him.

"What?"

"Contacting your researcher friend?"

"Oh right, Sardon!" Dad exclaims as he opens up the book Sardon gave him earlier. "Sardon, are you there?" Cless and I stand up and curiously huddle around the book, which Dad sets on the table.

"IT'S ABOUT TIME YOU CALLED!" Sardon's voice yells, and seconds later his face appears in the pages. What the...?! It's almost like a TV screen! "Where the heck have you been?!"

"We've been trying to figure that out all day. This world we're in is called Tethe'alla, and while its map is like Aselia's, it's only half of Aselia!"

"...Whoa seriously? Are you on the moon?"

"The maps—or what's there of them—are too similar to be the moon... Plus we saw Ymir Forest."

"Hm... You went four thousand years in the past, right?"

"Right."

"We don't have any records of that time... Oh wait!"

"What is it?!"

"I just remembered when Dad once read a fantasy story to me!" Sardon exclaims happily. What does _that_ have to do with anything?! "Anyway, it was a story said to be before time, so I guess that'd have been four thousand years ago, right? Maybe it was real!"

"Get to the point," Dhaos says coldly.

"S-Sardon-san, what was the story...?" Cless glances between Sardon and Dhaos nervously, trying hard to keep everyone peaceful.

"The point? Oh right! Um, let's see... there was something about a Chosen of Regeneration... Oh yeah! The hero's name was Lloyd Irving—he was a hero who wanted to save everyone, so there would be no sacrifices! He's a hero, so maybe he can help!"

To save everyone... with no sacrifices... That's what we're looking to do, too. We want to save Aselia and Derris-Kharlan...

"We'll look him up if he's real, then," Dad says. "We're also going to ask the king about Martel tomorrow. Have you found anything about the curses yet?"

"Nope! I've been searching _all day_, too! Hey, Chester, how are you feeling?"

"Fine. I haven't fainted or anything."

"That's good! Maybe the medicine is helping!"

"Only time will tell... Well, is there anything else you need tonight?"

"Nope! Mainly wanted to make sure the connection works! Which it does—I'm a genius!"

He's _definitely_ related to Dad...

"Then we need to get some sleep. Good night, Sardon."

"Night night!"

Dad closes the book and Cless and I retreat away from the table. We take our weapons off and set them down, preparing for bed. I lie down and pull the covers over myself. This is comfortable, but now that I'm lying down, I'm not tired... Dad turns the lights off and I hear him crawl into his own bed. The others must be tired...

There's a window above my bed, and I glance out of it. I see the moon... Sylvarant. It's mostly full, but there's still a large potion of it hidden by the dark night. Outside, I hear crickets chirping in the cool night air. I wonder how nice it feels out there... maybe if I can't get to sleep, I'll take a walk...

Huh? I hear... voices?

"I-I'm sorry!"

"Sh, keep your voice down! If they find us infiltrating the castle..."

"Oh yeah, like our big group is that hard to spot..."

"Quiet, all of you! We don't need to attract any more attention!"

Infiltrating the castle?! Are these guys assassins?! "Cless, Dad, did you hear that?" I ask, but I get no reply. "Hey, are you guys awake?" No answer... Figures. I nudge Cless. "Cless!" Still nothing... I don't have time to wait! What if these people hurt the king or Martel?! I grab my weapons and hurry out the door. I rush downstairs and run out the door of the inn. I can still pick up their voices, but barely... they must be headed towards the castle! I hurry up the stairs, trying to stay as quiet as possible, with my bow tight in my right hand.

I follow them through a pavilion and up another set of stairs. There's a wall surrounding the next area. "...I think someone's following us..." I hear one of them whisper, and I throw myself behind the wall.

"Are you sure? I didn't hear anything," another whispers back.

"I-I thought so..." the girl who heard me whispers. "I heard someone's footsteps... they stopped as soon as I said something..."

"It's not one of the guards, is it?"

"I didn't hear any armor..."

"Are you sure it wasn't the wind or something?"

"...You're right. It's probably just the night. Creepy, huh? It makes me think of those scary stories we used to hear when we were little!" That voice sounds oddly familiar...

"Yeah... Let's go!"

I hear them start walking again and I wait patiently. If one of them heard me, it'll be dangerous to get too close... from the sound of it, they have at least five people... maybe more. I might not want to get in a fight against them... but I can't let them hurt anyone!

Judging that it's safe now, I follow them again. Ahead is the castle, but they entered a building to the left of it. I slowly creek the door open and gently push my way in. Huh... this looks to be a church. No one's in here right now; all of the wooden benches are empty. At the far end, there's a pedestal and counter, behind which is a large statue of an angel. I notice a door closing in the back left side of the room and I hurry over. I can hear them inside...

"You're late," an old man says.

"Oh, I'm terribly soooorrry!" a familiar voice says sarcastically. Where do I recognize that voice from...?

"What?! What are you people doing here?!"

"We have something we want to ask you about."

"You're poisoning His Majesty, aren't you?" Wait, are these people the good guys or the bad guys?!

"...I don't know what you're talking about," the old man says.

"You're certainly a stubborn little liar."

"Is there an antidote?"

"I don't know anything!"

"Don't move..." That cold voice... a little girl... I recognize that, too...

"Then let's have you drink this poison. It doesn't take effect immediately anyway..."

"A-all right! It's in the drawer in the desk!"

I hear someone searching around... "Here it is!"

A pause. "...I have something I've been wanting to ask you, too. Why did you try to have Kate executed?! She's your daughter!"

"Sh-shut up! What do you know?!"

"Yeah, I don't! I don't know, so that's why I'm asking you! Are you stupid or something?!"

"You have a half elven daughter! Why would you take the initiative in creating rules to oppress half elves?"

These people... are sticking up for half elves? Arche...

"When I was young, I also thought the oppression of half elves was wrong," the old man says.

"Then, why? The church exists to offer salvation to all, does it not?"

"Are you capable of understanding the terror of growing older, while your child, who supposedly shares your blood, does not?!"

"That's not Kate's fault. That's the kind of species half elves are."

Arche won't grow older while the rest of us do... She'll be alone after we die... she'll still have hundreds of years to live... Aren't the one's already suffering half elves?!

"Yes! And that is why they are shunned!" the old man yells. "I understand the feelings of those who persecute them, because my daughter is a half elf. She terrifies me!"

Why that...! I kick open the door, aiming my arrow at the retreating man on the far side of the room. "People like you disgust me! Half elves are the ones that have to suffer! How do you think they fare when all of their human friends die?!" I demand. Everyone stares at me, their mouths hanging open. Wait a sec... "L-Lloyd?! Zelos?! Sheena?! What are _you_ doing here?!" All of the rebels are here save Kratos and Morrison...!

"Who are you?!" Lloyd demands, drawing his two swords. "Were you the one following us?!"

"H-hold on! I'm on your side!"

"How do we know you're not working for the Pope?!" Raine demands. I hear footsteps behind me—as I spin around, I notice the bookcase move; the old man retreats down the secret passage it opened while two knights rush up behind me. I shoot the arrow at the knight on the right, knocking him back.

"Hey! He's gonna get away!" I hear Zelos call out.

"Move," Presea commands—I think she's talking to me... "I will take care of him." I step back and the young girl swings wide, her ax cutting through the knight and knocking him back. Lloyd turns to me.

"I don't know who you are, but please... we have to save the king!"

"...All right. I'm coming with you!" I declare. They don't remember me... are they from the world I'm in now? Tethe'alla? "I'm Chester. Chester Barklight."

"You already seem to know us, so let's hurry!"

"Lloyd, wait!" Raine stops him. "I'm not so sure about this..."

"We don't have time, Professor! We have to save the king, and Chester fought against the knights..."

"It's okay, he seems like a good guy!" Colette agrees.

"I'm not going to win, am I? All right, let's hurry." They run down the secret passage and I follow. Whoa, it leads straight into the castle from the looks of it! Everything around her is white and fancy...

"Damn! He got away..." Lloyd exclaims.

Two more knights run up to us, and we prepare our weapons.

"Ch-Chosen! I'm sorry!" one of the knights says. "Please prepare yourself!" ...What? If he doesn't want to fight us, then why is he?! And who's this 'chosen'?!

There's a flash of light—Colette's in the air, her translucent pink wings flapping on her back. One of the knights yells.

"It's an angel!" the other shouts. "An angel has come down from heaven! It's the second coming of Spiritua!"

"Look! Your heretical deeds have brought down an emissary of Cruxis!" Zelos declares, sounding overly confident. The rest of the group looks confused... I know I'm confused! Spiritua? Cruxis?

"Chosen One! Then this must truly be...!"

"Yes. She is the angel of death and destruction. Spiritua has returned!" ...Colette? Angel of death and destruction? Okay, now I _know_ Zelos is lying!

"Ah... um... um... what should I do...?" I hear Colette whisper softly.

"Hey, what's going on?" Lloyd whispers as well.

"Don't worry and just follow my lead." Speaking up, Zelos continues, "Oh, holy angel, how shall we deal with these creatures?" Colette stalls, unsure of what to do.

"Say you're going to kill them!" I hiss.

"B-but..."

"Just do it, like a command. Trust me!"

"Um... um... Die!" Colette says nervously. That is _so_ unconvincing...

"P-please! Forgive us!" ...Obviously it was enough to trick the knights. Just how stupid _are_ these tin cans?!

"Holy one!" Zelos calls out dramatically. "Please spare their lives in my name. I will defeat those who oppose you and once again act as the Chosen to spread the teachings of Martel. Please!"

Martel?! Maybe I can ask Zelos about her...! "Say you'll forgive them," I whisper as softly as I can. I hope she heard me... She's the one who had the good hearing earlier, right...?

"Ah, okay... I shall forgive you," Colette says, relief in her voice.

"Did you hear that?!" demands Zelos. "The angel has recognized the Chosen as the true holy will of the church. Leave at once and capture my enemies, the Pope and his private soldiers, the Papal Knights!"

"Y-yes, sir!" Wow, Zelos seems to hold some status here!

"Revoke the wanted status of the Chosen and his companions at once!"

"Yes, sir! Everyone, do as the Chosen commands!" The knights rush away. What's with this 'chosen' gig?

Safe from the knights, Colette flies down and lands on the floor; her wings vanish. "Wow! Everyone did what you said, Zelos! And thank you for all of your suggestions, Chester-san!"

"We were saved by the Legend of Spiritua," Regal speaks up.

"Is that related to Spiritua, the Chosen of Sylvarant?" questions Raine.

"Hey, what's with all of this chosen stuff?!" I demand.

"...Where have you been?" Lloyd asks.

"Wow, you know even less than Lloyd?! I didn't think that was possible!" Genis exclaims, taken aback.

"Hey, shut it!"

"So then where are you from?" Zelos asks me.

How should I answer that? This is Tethe'alla, so... "Miguel, in Aselia."

"You're from Iselia?! B-but I don't recognize you...!" Lloyd exclaims.

"I haven't taught you before..." mutters the eldest half elf.

"What would someone from Sylvarant be doing on Tethe'alla?" questions Suzu's sister. Huh?!

"I don't know exactly what's going on, but... I _should_ be from the future, unless the Sword of Time made a mistake in transporting us..."

"A time traveler?!"

"Wow! That's amazing!" exclaims Colette.

"I'd like to hear more about this, but first we have to save the king," Regal reminds us. Hey, his hands... they're bound by handcuffs! But why...?

"Right! Let's go!" Lloyd commands and they set off through the castle, with me following behind them. They rush all the way upstairs and to the back, where there's a set of red doors. Inside, I see a young lady with blonde hair and a large, fancy dress standing over a bed. In the bed looks to be the king...

"W-wait!" the young lady says.

"Princess. Please let us see his Majesty," commands Zelos.

"I don't know anything about the return of Spiritua, but my father is sick. My father only wanted to protect Tethe'alla..."

"...We know. Are you aware that his Majesty has been poisoned by the Pope?"

"That can't be..." the princess gasps.

"It's true. The Pope has run away upon being investigated for it," Lloyd agrees.

"We must hurry to neutralize the poison," speaks the healer of the group. "Please move."

The young woman moves out of the way and Raine approaches the king. She gives him the antidote while the rest of us wait patiently. "It looks like this is definitely the antidote..."

"Oh... hmm..." The king sits up.

"Father!"

"Ahh? What..."

Zelos steps forward. "It looks like he's regained consciousness. Your Majesty, do you recognize me?"

"The traitor... Zelos. Have you come to kill me...?"

"No! Zelos saved you!" argues Lloyd.

"Traitor... yes, that does suit me. Anyway, we were set up by the Pope. We have no intention of harming Tethe'alla."

"Even if the ruling family were to doubt him, the church, soldiers, and citizens will certainly side with Zelos the Chosen," Raine points out. "We have the return of Spiritua with us, after all."

"...What do you want?"

"We want to see documents concerning the hero Mithos and the Kharlan War that are maintained by the royal family," Lloyd requests. Kharlan War?! Does this have to do with Derris-Kharlan?! If so, then these records could be useful for us as well! Maybe I should stick with Lloyd and the others and ask them about Martel... if we need to talk to the king instead, my group can do that tomorrow.

"They are stored in the archive on the second floor. Do what you will with them... Do not show yourselves in front of me again. I am... tired. I want nothing more to do with the church's power struggles."

"You're just being selfish!" Genis accuses.

"It's all right, kid," Zelos says. "Then, Your Majesty, we shall allow ourselves access."

We turn around and walk out of the room in complete silence. Once outside, Lloyd turns to me. "You wanna come with us to the archives? I want to learn more about the future..."

"And I want to learn more about this time. Let's go." I follow them to the left and down a set of stairs. There's a door here that leads to a large library. This must be the archives... Let's see what I can find!

**Ami gained the title of Kind Soul. Even if he'****s mean, ****I want to help him!**

**Chester gained the title of Half Elf Protector. It is a title given to one who sticks up for half elves, no matter what!**


	39. Dangerously Sick

**Yay! This marks page 300 of my story! ...I have no life. ...And yes, you have read three hundred pages. Mwahahahaha—erm, anyway...**

**Thank you for sticking with the story for this long! Please continue to enjoy the story!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of Phantasia or Tales of Symphonia. They are owned by Namco.**

**--****Dangerously Sick****--**

We begin searching through the books. "What are you guys looking for?" I question as I open one up.

"Colette's sick... The only clue we have to cure her is that they had a cure for it during the Ancient Kharlan War," Lloyd explains.

Sick... I wonder if maybe we can find anything about the curses on me and Arche here...? "What's she sick with? And what's the Ancient Kharlan War?"

"She's sick with Chronic Angelus Crystallus Inofficium," Raine speaks up. ...What?! "As for the Ancient Kharlan War, it's a war that happened roughly 4000 years ago, in which the hero Mithos brought a truce between the warring kingdoms."

"Wow... that isn't in our history at all... Does it have to do with Derris-Kharlan?"

"Derris-Kharlan is where our enemies have their base..." says Lloyd. "It's another world, a world of mana."

"Really? In my time, their supply of mana's running dangerously low." So the Lloyd of this time isn't from Derris-Kharlan... is he still an angel? What about the others...?

"What's the world like in your time?"

"Pretty different. This area we're at now... in my time, it's covered with ice and snow, and it's always dark due to Shadow's power."

"We _did_ find Shadow around here," Sheena points out as she flips through the pages of a book. I grab one, too, and sit on the ground. Chronic Angelus... something. Maybe I should just look for the Ancient Kharlan War first...

"This world is called Tethe'alla, right?"

"Yeah."

"In my time, Tethe'alla and Sylvarant are the two moons. Our world is called Aselia."

"Really? Are you sure you're not from another planet or something?"

"Sometimes I'm not sure... but when we compared the maps, the landmasses that were there looked _exactly_ alike. Freyland, Venezia, and Valhalla were missing, but..."

"Huh?"

"Basically, Tethe'alla looks like half of Aselia," I explain.

"Half of... then the other half would be Sylvarant!" Colette declares. "Lloyd, that means we're going to succeed! Isn't it great?!"

"Yeah, it is!" To my confused look, the swordsman explains, "There's this angel we're against, Yggdrasil, who split the world in half—one half is this world Tethe'alla, and the other half is the world I'm from, Sylvarant."

"So that would explain where the other half of the world went... Why—no wait, _how_—did he split the world in half?"

"I'm not fully sure... but I do know that he wants to bring Martel back."

Martel! "Where is she? Where's Martel?"

"Martel's dead," Regal speaks up. "She died four thousand years ago."

"What? But isn't she supposed to be a goddess?"

"That's what the people of—the two worlds combined are Aselia, right?—Well, that's what the people of Aselia have been taught to believe," Raine explains. "However, the _real_ Martel is dead... her whole being has been fused with the Giant Seed, which is being fed by Derris-Kharlan in order to keep Martel there."

Wow, this is strange... "So let me get this straight... Martel died four thousand years ago."

"Right."

"She's sorta alive in some large seed—it doesn't happen to supply mana, does it?"

"It's what holds the mana for Sylvarant and Tethe'alla. The worlds vie for what little mana the Giant Seed has. It proves to keep us from developing too high of technology."

So that seed must become the tree Yggdrasil... "The Yggdrasil of this time is an angel and your enemy?"

"Right. He's the leader of Cruxis—the organization that's on Derris-Kharlan."

"...No wonder Derris-Kharlan is filled with angels in my time..."

"Really?" Lloyd asks, interested.

"Yeah. There's one in my party. ...I hate him, though. So anyway, what exactly are you guys trying to do, then...?"

"We're going to reunite the worlds!" Lloyd declares as he moves on to his third book. The others are farther... I switch to my second and start scanning through it. "That way, no one will have to be a sacrifice and everyone can live in peace!"

"So you're trying to save both worlds...?" That sounds similar to what we're doing... The only difference is that Derris-Kharlan and Aselia were never one world, but always two separate planets. I don't think they _could_ be united... "And if we want to find out what happened to Martel, we'll have to go back another four thousand years..."

"About that... if you're from the future, why did you come to the past? Is Aselia in danger?"

"Both Aselia and Derris-Kharlan are declining... The Aselian gods have chosen to take everything from Derris-Kharlan in order to save Aselia, but..."

"...You're trying to save both, aren't you?" Lloyd inquires. "Heh, looks like our goals are similar!"

"Yeah!" I continue scanning through the book. Nothing in this one... I move on to the next. There's something about the Chosen of Regeneration... "Hey, what's this chosen thing about, anyway?"

"That's right, you wouldn't know about that..." says Raine. "In both worlds, there's a Chosen... Colette's the Chosen for Sylvarant, and Zelos is the chosen for Tethe'alla. Basically, when their world's declining, their supposed to give up their life in order to become Martel's vessel... and the flow of mana reverses. Right now, Sylvarant is declining while Tethe'alla is on its peak. If Colette had become a sacrifice, Tethe'alla would start declining and Sylvarant would receive more mana."

"I understand most of that... but Martel's vessel?"

"Yggdrasil's trying to bring Martel back to life, and he tried using Colette's body as her vessel," Lloyd takes over.

Martel's a goddess who wants to help Derris-Kharlan... would she really want someone to die just so she could live, if that's the case? "I think I understand..." I continue searching through the book. All of us work in silence, trying to find something about Colette's sickness. Nothing in this one either... we're all getting small piles of books around us.

I wonder if the others are still asleep... How much time has passed? Maybe I should've left a note or something...

"Chester, wake up..." Someone's nudging me. Lloyd... Everyone else is behind him. Wow, the library's even more of a mess now than before!

"Did I fall asleep?"

"Yeah."

"Oh... sorry."

"That's fine. We found what we were looking for... We're going to see the king now and then head to Altamira. Thanks for your help, Chester!"

"No problem. And thanks for telling me about this time!" I sit back, stretching. "Do you think the king will let me use this library a little longer? I have something to look up, too..."

"Why didn't you say so sooner? Since you helped us, we'll help you!"

"Are you sure? Don't you have something you need to do?"

Lloyd throws his arm up and yells, "Dwarven Vow number two! Never abandon someone in need!"

'Dwarven Vow'? "...You are _definitely_ not a dwarf. If you are, you're the biggest dwarf I've ever seen!"

"I'm human, but my dad's a dwarf!"

"I thought your dad was an... wait, what _would_ he be in this time period? A human or an angel...?"

"W-wait, am I in your time period?!"

"Yeah, all of you are. That's how I know your names," I explain.

"A-and you know my real father, too?!"

"Eh? You don't?"

"Nope. I'm an orphan... but I still have Dad!"

"And by 'dad', he means Dirk, the dwarf," Genis explains.

I grin. "It's the same for me. I'm an orphan as well, but my father—Klarth—recently adopted me..."

"Heh heh... we're really a lot alike, huh?"

"Yeah, I guess so. I'm smarter, though!"

"He's got ya there, Lloyd!" agrees the young half elf.

"H-hey, shut up!" Lloyd stutters, while everyone laughs.

"So what is it that you need?" Regal questions seriously.

"Well, first of all I need to find out more about Martel..." I stand up. "I should probably bring my friends here... They need to know about these worlds, too."

"Where are they?"

"They're at the inn." I start walking to the door when everything around me blurs. Again?!

"Make it stop... make it stop!" That voice... it's Merilynn! I'm in her room again, and she's sitting on her bed, crying...

"H-hey, what happened?"

She turns up to me, startled. "Chester! Help, the ghosts won't leave me alone! I'm scared..." Ghosts?

I walk over to her. "I don't know what you're talking about. I don't see any ghosts."

"I see them sometimes... each of them brings a bloody image... I-I don't know what they want from me!"

Merilynn... she's haunted by horrid images at _her_ age? She's about the same age as Ami...!

"Make them go away!" the young princess screeches as loud as she can. I flinch—geez she's loud for such a little brat!

"How am I supposed to make something go away if I can't even see it?"

"I don't know—just do it!"

Keh, if she wasn't so pitiful, I'd just leave her here... I grab her under the arms and pick her up; I then set the startled girl down so she's standing on her feet.

"H-hey, what are you doing?!"

"You want the ghosts to go away, right? We can't make them go away just by sitting here, so why don't we do something fun?" If the ghosts are just in her mind, like I suspect, then getting her mind off of it would be the best cure.

"W-will they leave me alone if I do that...?"

"Of course. Now come on!"

The girl's mouth curves into a grin and she wipes her eyes. "Y-yeah!" She grabs my hand and leads me out of the room. "This way!" The hallway outside is dark, lit only by candles and occasional windows. The walls look almost like they're made of ice. It's cold here... very cold... There's a large, metal door ahead of us. Merilynn lets go of me and places both of her hands on the door before slowly pushing it open. Snow blows inside, hitting both of us, and outside I see a snowy courtyard with a swing a play set. Hold on, I am _not_ babysitting...

Merilynn runs forward and jumps on a swing, sending it flying through the air. She holds on tightly keeping perfect balance as the swing comes back down. "Heehee! This is aaaaaall mine! Isn't it neat?!"

"Why didn't you just come out here in the first place?" I ask.

"It's no fun when there's no one around!" Merilynn answers as she turns around so she's facing me. "Push me!"

"No thanks."

"H-hey! I'm the princess! Now push me!" the brat demands.

"And I'm not your personal attendant! You'll get no where by ordering me around!"

"W-what?! But people always do what I tell them to...!"

"You could learn to use some manners! That'll get you a lot farther with people!"

"Eh? Like what?" she asks curiously.

"W-well, you know... 'please' and 'thank you'..."

"Only servants say those words..." she spats, disgusted.

"And people might do favors for them! Like play with them!" I combat.

"Fine! Please play with me!" Merilynn yells. She just doesn't get it...

"No!"

"Why not?! I said 'please'!"

"It's not just the words! It's _how_ you say it, too! It still sounds like you're ordering me! You have to _ask_."

She tilts her head, confused. "What do you mean...?"

I grin. "Like that. That sounded a _lot_ nicer. Now apply that to what you were ordering."

"So then... Please push me?"

"There you go! You're catching on!" I congratulate her. "I guess that deserves a little bit of a reward..." I walk over to her and she happily sits down in the swing. I grab the handles and pull back. "Heh, now if only I could teach Arche some manners..." I think out loud as I let go of the chains and watch the swing go forward.

"Arche? Who's that?" Merilynn questions as she swings back over to me.

I push her. "An annoying girl..."

"Is she your friend?"

"No."

"Your girlfriend?"

"NO!"

"Then how do you know her?"

"I travel with her! Now enough with the questions!"

"What's she like?"

Does she not listen?! "She's annoying, talkative, stupid, obnoxious, impulsive, immature... I hate her!"

Merilynn pauses, not looking at me. As she reaches the peek of the swing away from me, she jumps out of the swing and lands gracefully in the snow. She spins around to face me. "I wanna meet her!"

"Huh?! Why?!"

I hear footsteps and... clanking armor!

"Oh no, the guards are making their rounds!" the young princess says. "If they find you here..."

_"It's no good, he won't wake!__ Professor!"_

I grin at the little girl in front of me. "It's okay, I hear my friends. Well, until next time!"

"Please come back and play with me!"

Everything goes blurry, and the next thing I know, I'm waking up in the cluttered library.

"Ah, look! He's waking up!" Colette exclaims. "Chester-san, are you all right? Y-you're not hurt, are you?"

"It happened again..." That sounds like...

"Dad?!" Dad and the others of my group are walking in, lead by Regal and Presea.

"Snuck out in the middle of the night, eh?" taunts Arche. "I should've known you'd do something like that!"

"Chester, why didn't you tell any of us where you were going?!" Cless demands.

"I _tried_ waking you, Cless!"

"Regal-san and Presea-chan explained everything to us," Mint speaks up as she walks forward. "They came and got us after you fainted... are you all right?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." I pick myself up.

"Did you see the girl again?" questions Suzu.

"Yeah. She was scared of something, but I think I got her mind off of it."

"What are all of these books lying around for? Are all of these really from the research you guys did?" Arche questions as she picks up one of the books.

Dad picks up another and starts scanning through it. "Looks like we'll be able to find out more about Martel... We should also see if we can learn more about your curses."

"You mean why Chester suddenly fainted? Do you have any idea what's wrong with him?" questions Lloyd.

"There's nothing wrong with me!"

"I wish we did... We don't even know if it's really a curse or what it is—only that it's affecting him. Arche's also cursed, though we know that hers is a curse and not something else."

"I guess you don't have any other information, do you?" Raine asks.

"Not much. They've both already seen a doctor, and we're waiting for her and her husband to do more research..."

"I see. I guess we can't do any more until we learn what the curses are..."

"We need more information on Martel," Dhaos speaks up.

"That's right! We came here to meet her—do you know where we can find her?" Ami asks. Lloyd and his friends explain the whole thing about Martel being dead while I scan through a book. It's still hard to believe that the world was separated... I haven't seen anything about that in these books, though...

"I see... but she hasn't actually become a goddess yet..." My father carefully considers this. "If she's been merged with the Great Seed, then that'd explain a ton of things... Such as how she's in the tree and why it can't survive without her."

"Should we go back farther to talk to Martel then?" questions the steed.

"But if she hasn't become a goddess yet, then there's still something we're missing," Milard points out.

"We know more than we did," Dad points out. "Becoming a goddess may mean sacrificing one's life... Also, she had to practically _become_ part of the tree. If that's the case, it'll be difficult to stimulate the process with the Giant Kharlan Tree."

"Doing that would mean someone would have to die..." I mutter. "There _has_ to be another way..."

A beep suddenly echoes throughout the room. We glance around, looking for the source of it—ah! The communication book! Realizing that as well, my father opens the book. We huddle around him to see Sardon's picture there; Sardon's beaming at us. "Yo, Klarth-san! I've been doing good!"

"Did you find some information?"

"Yep yep! It's about Chester's curse—though I think it's more of a disease..."

"What'd you find?!" I demand.

"I thought you weren't sick," Dad teases.

"Shut up..."

"We found some records of other people who we think had the disease... They at least showed similar symptoms. There have only been a few with it, and each doctor has called it something else... None seem to know exactly what the disease does to the patient, though."

"So what happened to the patients?"

"We've found records of nine that exhibited similar symptoms. Eight of them either went missing or died within a month of when they first saw a doctor. The last one we know least about—no personal information was given, only enough for the doctor's records... It's almost as if he or she didn't want to be known. According to the records, though, that one must've survived for quite a few years, but never lost the disease."

Well that's comforting...

"No way... Only one of nine survived more than a month?!" Cless stares at me, worried; I turn away from my friends.

"Let's try to make that two of ten survived," Dad suggests. "Sardon, tell us if you find any more information!"

"Aye-aye, captain!" With that, he disappears and Dad slowly closes the book. We all sit there in silence.

So I could die again... _"You're not a cat—you don't have nine lives! So stop wasting what ones you _do_ have!"_ Damn it!

"I'm not going to die again, you got that?! Now stop having a pity party and let's figure out what to do next!" I snap, which stirs them all.

"R-right..."

"We'll find a cure for you quickly, Onii-chan!"

"Speaking of, we need to finish curing Colette..." mutters Lloyd.

"You guys get to that. We have everything handled here... And if we need anything else, you'll be around, right?"

"Right. If you need us for anything, go to the Renegade Base—it's near Flanoir. They'll be able to help you find us."

"What are we going to do, Klarth-san?"

"I think we have some more people to talk to... I want to find out exactly how this thing with Martel works."

"Then let's go!" I declare. "Thanks for your help, Lloyd, everyone."

"Yeah, thank you, too!"

"Good luck, Chester-san! I hope we both get better soon!" Colette says kindly.

"Yeah, me too. See ya!" We wave to Lloyd's group as they exit.

"We're headed to Derris-Kharlan," Dad announces as soon as they're gone.

"I knew you were going to say that..." mutters the swordsman. "Are we going to talk to this Yggdrasil, then?"

"That's right. Dhaos, you'll have to help us get in safely."

Dhaos doesn't say anything for at least a minute. "...Fine. Let's just hurry."

We start to leave. Wait, Arche's still reading something... I walk over to her. "Hey, Arche, you've been in that book for a little while... Is it really that good?"

"Uh-huh! This is the best!" she cheers a little _too_ enthusiastically as she stares up at me. W-wait, what's with that look in her eyes?!

"Arche, are you all right?"

She drops the book and her arms wrap around me. W-what?! "A-A-Arche!"

"But I'm sure we could make it even better!"

W-what's she talking about?! "A-Arche, what's gotten in to you?!" This... this isn't right! And why won't my heart slow down some?!

"And so the truth comes out..." mutters my father.

"Ehhhh? Are Onii-chan and Arche-san boyfriend and girlfriend?!"

"NO! It's not like that—there's nothing between us! I-I don't know what's going on here!" I yell, desperate to defend myself. I try to push her away a little, but...

"Oh come on, we can tell them!" the witch says deviously.

"Tell them _what_?! There's _nothing_! You got that?! Nothing!"

Arche lets go of me and turns away, folding her arms over her stomach as she pouts. "Why do you have to be a jerk again?!"

I feel like I can barely breathe... what the heck's wrong with me?! Better yet, what's wrong with _her_?! "N-never mind! Let's just go to Derris-Kharlan!" I march past my grinning friends and out the door. I keep going, not looking back, out of the castle, then down the stairs leading out of Meltokio.

Suzu catches up with me first. "Chester, do you know where you're going?"

I stop in the middle of the stairs. "Good point..." The others catch up with us.

Dad turns to Cless. "Well then, shall we head to Derris-Kharlan?"

"Right." Cless pulls out the Eternal Sword and holds it up. "O great and powerful Sword of Time, take us to Derris-Kharlan in the present time!" The blue light surrounds all of us and we transport out of Meltokio. Arche... what got in to her?!

**Chester gained the title of Teacher. You could use a few manners, you know!**

**Chester gained the title of Dangerously Sick. Only one in nine has a chance of surviving his disease more than a month...**

**Arche gained the title of Clingy. It is a title given to one who unexpectedly clings on the one she loves.**

**Ayame gained the title of Dedicated ****Author****. It is a title given to one who has no life besides writing stories.**


	40. Friezkiel Protector

**Thank you, Ki-kun, for the suggestion for the description of Chester's 'Sarcastic Man' title!**

**Disclaimer: Same as always. I don't own any of the Tales of games; they're owned by Namco.**

**--****Friezkiel Protector****--**

We're in what looks to be a space station... There are many turquoise platforms with violet, translucent bridges connecting them. Below the platforms is what _looks_ to be endless abyss... There are angels flying all around, though they look to be doing nothing... just flying. I don't even know if they see us... they don't make any reaction to our sudden appearance.

"Derris-Kharlan has changed significantly," Dhaos speaks up. "It's hard to recognize, but I think this is where we later build the capital city of my country."

"Eh?! Do you live here in the future then, Dhaos?" Cless asks.

"Yes..."

We head across the only bridge leading away from us, to a six-sided platform. There's a bridge straight ahead of us, but it looks like there's an angel guarding that one; to our right and left are more bridges leading to yet more platforms. "I don't even see any houses..." I mutter. "They have houses in our time, right, Dhaos?"

"Yes. This doesn't look at all like a city now, but by my time... everything will be different."

"This is so neat! It's like your planet is just starting out!" Ami cheers. "We should talk to some of the people here—they must all be working so hard!"

I stare up at the sky, at the angels that are doing nothing. "Yeah, they're working _real_ hard..." I mutter sarcastically.

"Chester!" Cless hisses. "They might take offense to that...!"

"It's the truth. And none of them seem to even care about us being here."

"He's right," Dad speaks up as he stares at the angels. "They all look pretty vacant if you ask me... Let's find someone we can actually talk to." Dad starts walking to the right, and the rest of us silently follow.

Across the bridge is another platform, though this one only has one bridge, which turns a little to the right again. This leads to a conveyer belt... Wow, they seem to have good technology as well! We stand on it and let it carry us across as we glance around at the empty city. Can it even be _called_ a city...? There's barely anything here... Dad and Cless are leading the way, followed by Ami and Milard. I'm behind them, and walking close behind me is Mint. I glance back. Arche's bringing up the rear on her broom, still sulking...

On the other side, there are two paths: one leading up and one leading down.

"The head of the city _should_ be at the top, if the system is similar to that of the future," Dhaos explains. We head up the stairs.

To our right is a machine with a strange circle in front of it; above it is another machine. We keep walking to see another pair, only the one on bottom is a deep purple and the one on top a bright yellow. The next pair looks exactly like the third, and there's a final pair at the end with a lower machine that's purple and an upper one that's beige.

"What are these machines...?" Cless asks as he walks over to the last one on bottom. We follow him, gathering around the machine; Dad begins tinkering with it.

"It looks to be some sort of radar..."

We hear something moving behind us and spin around—a purple circle comes down around Milard, and then a blue light surrounds her and the strange circular pattern she's standing on begins rising. "Ah!"

"Milard!" Dad yells as he runs over to her, but the light acts as a barrier and stops him. The light disappears and we run around so we can see Milard, who's staring down at us from the platform. "Are you all right?! What happened?!"

"I'm fine—it's just an elevator from the looks of it!" she assures my father.

"We'll get you down from there—hold on!"

"I'm going to see what this machine does first." She turns around and walks over to the beige machine.

"Wait, Milard! It could be dangerous!"

"So says the person who was tinkering with machines to begin with..." I mutter dryly.

"Ah! This is perfect!" we hear Milard yell. "This is a vending machine—I'm going to stock up on supplies!"

"A vending machine...?" mutters Cless.

"In a place like this...?" I finish.

"Let me try let me try!" Arche cheers as she zooms up to the top on her broom. She's excited again... She never stays down for long. "Wow, this is so cool! An alien vending machine!"

Dhaos looks annoyed. "Idiot..."

"I wanna see it, too!" my sister complains. "Let me up!"

"Arche-chan, are you going to get something or just stare at it?" I hear Milard ask.

"Speaking of food, we haven't really had breakfast yet," Mint points out. "Milard-san, do we have any fruits to eat?"

"Yes. I'll bring the pack down in a second. Arche-chan, we're done, let's head back down."

"O-oh! R-right..." The witch flies down to us as the elevator starts moving, bringing the meerkat back down to our level. "Shall we eat here?"

"Might as well," Cless says as all of us except Dhaos sit down.

"Why didn't we eat _before_ coming here?!" demands the angel.

"We were in such a hurry that we didn't think of it, I guess," Arche answers innocently. "Anyway, now we can have a picnic on Derris-Kharlan!"

"Yeah! This is so neat!" Ami agrees.

"I feel like a seasoned traveler!" Mint adds as she and Milard begin pulling out fruits and putting them in the center of our group, on napkins. Everyone reaches in and starts eating some of the fruits. I grab a few grapes.

These grapes are horribly sour... I can only eat one. I stare at the rest of the fruit, trying to figure out what to eat. You know... I'm not really that hungry, now that I think about it.

"Chester and Arche still need to take their pills, right?" Mint points out.

"_Mint_!"

"That's right. Don't try evading it, Chester; I was already wondering when to bring that up," my father says as he searches through the pack for the pills. Keh, figures... He tosses one bottle to Arche, who catches it, and the other two to me. The dove pours us water in the plastic cups she brought and hands them to us. Oh well... I only have to do this one a day, right? I open up one bottle and pour three pills into my hand. I take one at a time until I finish all six and then toss the bottles pills back to Dad, who stuffs them in the pack. I keep my water to drink while waiting patiently for the others to finish their food.

"Chester, are you not going to eat?" questions the sparrow.

"I'm not that hungry."

"It would be best for you to eat something..." argues Cless.

"I said I'm not hungry!"

Everyone pauses; "All right... if you say so."

They soon finish up their breakfast and we head back to the stairs. This time we take the lower path.

Straight ahead, there are two more machines with elevators in front of them. "I'll see what's down there!" Arche offers as she flies down.

"Arche, wait!" I call out, but she doesn't listen.

"It's just mirrors... EH?!"

"What?!"

"I don't see my reflection in this mirror...!" Arche exclaims. We all rush for the elevators—Dad and Milard make it down the first and Cless and Ami take the second. Suzu jumps down with the grace of a ninja, leaving me, Mint, and Dhaos up above.

"Hey, what's going on down there?!" I call out.

"It seems to be a magic mirror of some sort..." I hear Dad say.

Dhaos' green, transparent wings sprout on his back and he flies down. ...That's not fair. "Oh, _those_ mirrors... We have them in the future, too. They're meant to show demons inside of people—they're used often during court cases."

"Well then at least we know we're not demons!" Arche cheers. All of them come back up.

"I'm glad nothing attacked you while you were down there..." says the princess. "I must admit, I was a little worried."

"Keh, don't go rushing into things like that!" I yell.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to leave you two behind..." mutters the steed.

"What's over there?!" Arche flies off to another platform that's separated from everything else.

"ARCHE! Get back here!" I yell out. That idiot...!

"Don't worry, it's nothing!" She flies back over to us. "No Yggdrasil-angel around here!"

Well that was pointless... We head back across the conveyer belt and to the forking paths. "I'm willing to bet that the angel's guarding the path to him," Dad mutters. "Still, let's check the other way first."

We follow the bridges the unguarded way, which leads to another conveyer belt. We head across this one to find what looks to be buildings... There are boxes ahead of us, but there's a hole among them. To our left are two buildings, each with a door, and above that is a translucent platform. We try the first building, which is a yellowish color.

There are some angels in these green halls and three doors ahead of us... We try the front two, but those lead to empty rooms; the back one leads to an elevator.

"Let's try floor five," suggests Dhaos, and we get on and head up to the top. This hallway is laid out the same, and again, there's nothing in each room except a few angels. All of the other floors are the exact same... After checking them all, we exit the building. I hate to admit it, but I think Dad's right... the leader probably _is_ the one being guarded...

We enter the second building anyway. "If nothing else, we can find out how to get past the guard," Dad reasons.

This building is different... there's a weird circle on the ground to our left, and past that is an area with lots of holes on the wall, big enough to hold pods of some sort. There's an angel working among them. "Whoa, they _work_?" I mumble to my friends.

"Chester!"

"Hm? What are a bunch of humans doing here?" the angel demands.

"They're my captives," Dhaos quickly lies.

"Are they for research?"

"Yes. I'm looking for Ygg—"—Dad gives him a small kick—"...Lord Yggdrasil... to question him about some of the research." I saw Dhaos flinch when he had to use 'lord'. Heh, I bet that hurt his pride!

"Shouldn't the Desian class like that girl"—he indicates to Arche—"know about it? You do not need to bother Lord Yggdrasil about such things."

"These are for special research," Dhaos says.

The angel observes us before turning back to his work. "Do what you will, but don't blame me if Lord Yggdrasil gets angry with you."

"Where can we find him?" questions Arche.

"I don't know. None of the Four Seraphim are here."

"The Four Seraphim?"

The angel scowls. "Who doesn't know who they are? Unless... You're not one of the Renegades, are you?!"

"Huh?! N-no!"

"Let me see your identification."

Ah great... how are we supposed to have _that_?!

"Um, let's see, where'd I put it..." Arche mutters as she begins searching her pockets frantically. Before too long, she looks up at the angel with an overly-done apologetic smile. "Nope, sorry! It seems I left that back at home! Um, I'll go get it now..."

"Stop!" the angel demands as he holds a sword to her throat. "You _are_ working for the Renegades, aren't you?!"

"No! Of course not!"

"Idiot..." I hear Dhaos mutter under his breath. Speaking up, he says, "She is a Desian class, as you said. She's not a very bright one..."

"Hey! Dhaos!"

"And where's _your_ identification?" demands the angel.

Dhaos' right hand is glowing red... "It's... IMPACT!" He touches the angel and, with a burst of energy, the thing goes flying. The angel starts to stand as we all pull our weapons out.

"Pow Hammer!" Ami yells and a bright, red hammer falls on the enemy, knocking him unconscious.

Suzu rushes in and then back; she's suddenly holding a card or something, staring at it. She hands it up to Dhaos; "I think you'll be needing this."

"S-Suzu-chan! Is that an identification card?!" demands Cless.

"Yes. I stole it from the angel."

"Well, it may not do us much good now since we know their leaders aren't here..." Dad points out. "Still, with that we'll have access to everything in Derris-Kharlan in this time. Maybe we can ask the person guarding the last path where these 'Four Seraphim' are."

With that verdict, we head to the guard. He stares at Dhaos as we approach. "What business do you have here?"

"I must speak to Lord Yggdrasil."

"He's out at the moment."

"Then one of the other Four Seraphim."

"They're all out."

"Where can I find one of them?" Dhaos questions.

The angel pauses, considering his answer. "May I see your identification?" Dhaos pulls the card out of his robes and hands it over. The angel examines it; "Very well. I hear Lord Yuan is in Flanoir and Lord Kratos is after one of the Chosens."

"Kratos?!" What's Kratos doing with these people?! He's Lloyd's father, right? But... that means that Lloyd doesn't know about him! What the heck's going on around here?!

"And Lord Yggdrasil?"

"Lord Yggdrasil need not let anyone know where he's gone."

Keh, figures... Still, I don't know about the others, but I want to talk to Kratos.

"What are all of these _humans_ for?"

"Special research," Dhaos answers curtly. He then turns around and starts walking away. "Come, humans!" Keh, I hate him! We follow silently anyway... I'd rather _not_ have the whole city turn against us. We walk in silence back to the vending machines, where the number of angels is minimal. "I'm not doing that again for you," the angel coldly warns us.

"Thank you for that, Dhaos," says Dad. "You shouldn't be too sore about it, though—it's all to save Derris-Kharlan."

"We need to learn more about the weakness of the gods, not about Martel's relationship to Yggdrasil."

"If anyone can help us talk to them, Martel can," my father points out. "And I doubt they'd want to kill us in this time."

"Or what if..." Arche speaks up. "What if they're like Martel—what if they weren't originally gods?"

"A fair point. We know far too little as it stands... You'll continue to help us learn more, won't you, Dhaos?"

"...I guess you leave me with little choice. Let's find the Seraphim."

"Good. Now then, where should we go..."

"We have an exact position for Yuan," Milard points out.

"Yes. We'll need to go to the Renegade base in Flanoir to find out where Lloyd and the others are anyway," Cless adds.

"All right, then, Flanoir it is!" I say. "Cless, warp us outta here!"

"I'm on it!" The steed holds his sword up. "O great and powerful Sword of Time, take us to Flanoir, Tethe'alla in this time!" The blue light surrounds us and warps us to a city of snow.

This must be Flanoir... It's a snow town with large, stone fences surrounding sections of it. There are large trees covered in snow, decorating the snowy brick path, and there are also lamp posts; both objects, most times I see them, are surrounded by a small wooden fence. There are a few houses in front of us, with a wooden fence blocking them off, and another house to our left, which has a long line outside of it. There's also a small vegetable stand to our right with a little boy and a dog standing next to it. The people here, all wrapped up in warm clothes, all stare at us in awe, most likely because of our sudden teleport into their city. A bunch of people in red outfits with metal armor and helmets run through the snow towards us. They're all carrying either whips, swords, or staffs. "What was that light?!" one of them demands; they notice that everyone's staring at us. "Who are you people?!"

"These are half elves..." mutters Arche. "I can sense the mana in them... Maybe these are the Desians that angel thought I was." She steps forward and speaks up, saying, "I'm looking for Lord Yuan. Could you take me to him?"

"Wow, that was surprisingly polite..." I mumble. "Ow!" She stomped on my foot!

The half elves start muttering among themselves as they stare at us. One of them—the leader, I think—steps forward. "We'll take you to see Lord Yuan all right... Arrest them!" Well pull out our weapons and prepare to battle as the half elves surround us.

"We have no reason to arrest you humans," spats the leader. "We only want the members of Cruxis. They're using you for research, aren't they?"

Dad and Cless exchange glances and give each other small nods; they lower their weapons and the rest of us follow, one by one. "Are you the Renegades?"

"That's right. Get the members of Cruxis!"

"Wait, we're not—"

"These two are with us. We're friends of Lloyd—I'm sure you know him."

"Lloyd Irving?" Wait, Irving? Oh, he has a dwarf for a father... I wonder if that's his last name?

"That's right," I input.

"...All right, come with us. If you're telling the truth, I doubt Lord Yuan will do anything to you. If you're lying, though..."

"We're not. Let's go." The Renegades make a circle around us and lead us out of the city.

"Lloyd Irving?" Dad whispers to me.

"He doesn't know Kratos in this life—he's been adopted by a dwarf. I'm willing to bet that this is the same Lloyd..."

"I hope you're right... Otherwise we'll be in trouble."

"Maybe they'll listen to us if we tell them we're from the future!" Arche suggests in a whisper. "We could make up some great fortunes for them!"

"Idiot..." I mutter.

Outside of the city, we find a small collection of colorful machines—each one's a different color, ranging from yellow to green to purple and so on. These machines remind me of motorcycles, the way the seat is set up with the handles, but instead of wheels, they have long wings on the side. They signal for each of us to get on one; after stalling a minute, each of us except Dhaos and Arche do.

"You two get on, too," orders the lead Renegade.

"I can fly on my own, thanks!" Arche says as she hops on her broom and floats over the snow. The Renegades stare for a moment, startled.

Regaining composure, the leader says, "...How are we to trust that you won't run away?"

"I won't! I need to talk to this Yuan guy, too!"

"And you, angel?"

"Keh, I see no need to ride those. I'd rather fly," Dhaos answers coldly.

The leader gives his companions a slight nod and they pull out—guns?! Blue beams shoot from them at our companions—Arche! She falls into the snow—I jump off of the machine and run over to her. "Arche! Hey, Arche!" It's no use... she's unconscious! I turn to stare at the Renegades; "What did you do?!"

"We only stunned them. They'll wake up soon enough."

"Why you...! Do you really think I'm going to just let you do that and get away with it?!" I pull my bow off of my back and notch an arrow in it, aiming it at them.

"Chester!" Cless calls out. Keh, he's trying to be peaceful as always...

"Shut it, Cless! I don't care who they are—they attacked our friends!"

_"Ahhh!"_ Merilynn! No, not now... not now!

The people around me all disappear; I'm still standing in the snow, but now I'm in the courtyard and—there are knights going after Merilynn! So this is the reason I was brought here when Arche needed me?! Those damn knights?! I turn my bow to them and shoot—"Piercing Line!" The arrow goes straight through both of them and they fall; Merilynn runs over to me.

"Chester! We're under attack!"

"Under attack?! By who?!"

"From those colors, the people of Odin..." the princess mutters. "Sauound... he wasn't able to talk his father out of an attack..."

"Sauound?! Who's _that_?!"

"He's the prince of Odin! Remember when you met us at the tree? He's the one that put the ointment on your hand!"

"So he's your friend?"

"Yep!"

"And his country's your enemy?"

"Yep..."

This is crazy... these kids are caught up in war... but... "Whatever, let's just get out of here! Where's a good hiding place for you?!" I glance around, looking for one.

"W-wait! What about my people?!"

"You're the princess! If you survive this, you can try to bring peace; if you die, war will no doubt continue. What do you want to do?!"

She pauses, considering this. "...A-all right... there's a safe I can hide in..." She starts running and I chase after her; we run into the castle and—more enemies! I shoot them down and we keep going. I'm not really paying attention as to where we're going—I'm just watching for enemies.

Here's the safe—she climbs in and I grab the large door of it. "The combination is 55-26-87. You better come back and let me outta here!"

"Where's that please?"

"Please! And please... help my people!"

Her people... I don't have time for this! I need to get back to _my_ time! I shut the door to the safe. Keh, I can't do anything else anyway... I run through the halls, searching for the exit out of this castle; some knights start shooting arrows at me and I throw myself behind a wall. Those aren't Odin's red and gold... these are blue and silver. They must be Fenrir's knights! How am I supposed to help if they think I'm an enemy?! Keh, I'll just have to avoid them...

I rush down the hall I'm on—there's a window ahead! I hurry over to it and look out; this is the first floor, and there's a battle raging outside. I step away from the window and notch my arrow. Piercing Line should keep it going in a straight path... I charge up the arrow and release it at one of the Odin knights, whose armor it pierces straight through; the knight falls and kick the glass. The glass shatters and I jump out into the cold snow. This town looks somewhat like Flanoir... it's Friezkiel in this time, right?

I run around the side of the castle, leaving the battle and going straight for the city. I need to check on the innocent people there!

Chaos has already broken out in the city... There are buildings burning, knights fighting, civilians running... I notice an Odin knight attacking a civilian man and I aim an arrow at him. I release the string and it flies straight at him, hitting him and knocking him back. The civilian runs and I search for more Odin knights. There are quite a few of them rushing into the city... I notch an arrow on my bow and aim it up in the air. "Wild Rain!" I release it and it flies up before sprouting into many more arrows; the arrows rain down on the knights, and Fenrir knights charge in to battle with those of Odin still standing. I glance to the building the civilian ran to—it's a large building, close to the castle. I run towards it, turning to shoot at the closest knights along the way. I open the door—it looks to be a doctor's office... and there are many civilians here, either being healed, helping out, or waiting. They all stare at me, scared. A few knights that are here protecting them charge at me and I hold my hands up. "Are there any unprotected civilians?" I ask. "Don't worry—your princess sent me to help."

"We have them all being protected," answers one of the knights.

"Wait!" a little boy calls out as he runs up to me. "M-my mother, she's out there still... at our home in the eastern part of town. Please help her... she's the only family I have!"

His only family... "All right. How does the house look?"

"I-it's number 202, in the southeastern part of town," the boy answers as he points a shaky finger in the direction.

"All right, stay here!" I tell him as I run back into the chaos. Southeast, huh? There's a large battle between me and there... I'll go faster if I go around the battle. I stick near the castle, hurrying to the left along the path. There are two more knights in my way... I load up an arrow and take aim; "Gale Shot!" Four arrows charge forward, two hitting each knight, and I hurry on. House number 202... Here's 180, 183, 188... I'm in the 190s now... Ah! There's a civilian woman just ahead, running away from two Odin knights. I take aim and charge energy into my arrow, letting it grow bigger... "Duck!" I call out to the woman, and she falls to the ground. "Giga Fang!" I release the large arrow and it plows through the knights. I hurry over to the woman and grab her arm, dragging her up to her feet and through the snowy streets. "You have a son?!" I demand.

"Y-yes... Please don't hurt him..."

"Hurry up, then! He's waiting for you!" I tell her, and we both start running. I see more Fenrir knights and less Odin knights... Noticing the civilian with me, the Fenrir knights leave me alone. Good... We hurry through just fine, and back to the building with her son. "He's in there!" I tell her and I fortify the area, shooting the closest Odin knights, as she hurries in. Okay, that's done...

...And I think I see their leader! He's the knight with the most badges, shiniest armor, and shiniest sword... and most bloodied. He barks some commands at the Odin knights as he fights those of Fenrir, easily slaying them. I aim an arrow at him. Let's see how he likes more ice... "Ice Fang!"

The arrow hits his armor, turning a section of it into ice, and he turns to me. He slowly starts walking towards me, his sword out and his shield guarding him. He laughs. "Well well, does a civilian of Friezkiel wanna fight, now? How pathetic!"

I grin at his stupidity; "Who's a civilian here? I'm going to make sure you and all of your knights leave here, whether alive or dead!"

"Brave words, but I'm not leaving 'til I get rid of that monstrous royal family of yours! I suggest you don't bother helping them... unless you want to die pointlessly for them!"

"Keh, I'm not going to die!" I release another arrow, which bounces off his shield. He advances as I notch another arrow and release; he blocks it again.

"Do you really think that those weak arrows are going to hit me?"

"Fine, then..." I charge up energy into this next one... my strongest skill! "Dragon Slayer!" The arrow goes right through his shield, lodging into his armored chest, and pink bubbles of energy follow it, hitting him as well. He stalls, trying to regain composure, and I shoot off another arrow. He hits the next one with his sword, knocking it to the ground.

"Why you... I won't let someone like you stop me from getting rid of those demons!" He charges forward, swing his sword violently at me; I drop the arrow in my hands and hold my arm up in defense just before his sword hits, cutting my arm. "Ow!" It burns...! I grab my wound as my legs cave in. That really hurt... does he have poison on that sword?!

"I see... so you're one of them, too!" the man declares as he draws his sword up. 'One of them'?! What's he talking about?! "Die!"

I roll to the side, on the cold snow, getting out of the way of his sword. I throw myself up and run, trying to get some distance between me and him... I can hear him chasing after me, though...! Ah, there's a cart with barrels on it... if I can shoot it at the right moment, then... I notch an arrow in my bow and take aim. Ow, my arm hurts... I may not hit it... but I have to try! I shoot an arrow, but it misses. I notch another one and take aim... and release. It hits the barrels and I roll forward, letting the barrels roll right in to my pursuer. He falls and I notice oil coming from the barrels... perfect! "Fenrir knights, run!" I aim another arrow, holding it as fire begins engulfing it... One of the knights of Fenrir notices and he tells the others to follow my command. "Hell Pyre!" The arrow charges straight at one of the barrels and hits it as I run behind the stone walls guarding the castle. The explosion sounds loudly, sending fire through the cold snow, straight past me and the other hiding knights.

As the fire clears, I dare to peek out; the blast hit many of the Odin knights... I think the battle's about over. The Fenrir knights begin cheering, and someone hits me on the back. I glance up at the large knight, who holds a thumb up and says, "Nice thinkin', kid!"

"Thanks... Oh right, Merilynn!" I need to let her out of the safe—I stumble into a run and hurry back inside the castle. Now where was that safe... Ah, there's the window I broke through... so it was this way... I make my way down the halls, where the Fenrir knights are fortifying the area. I soon find the safe. What was the combination... 55... 20... 87...

...Ah great. That didn't work. What was it... 55... then twenty-something... what _was_ it?!

"Merilynn!" I call out. "Can you hear me?!" No answer... why didn't I write it down or something?! Twenty... twenty... twenty-two? I try that. Nope... Um...

55... Oh right, 26! Then 87...

The door clicks and I pull the heavy thing open. Ow, my arm really hurts... but I can't stop now! Once I get Merilynn out of here, I still have to go help Arche...

"Chester!" the princess exclaims. "Is everyone safe—what happened to your arm?!"

"It's nothing. The Odin knights are gone, and your people are okay..."

"Yay!" She leaps out of the safe and hugs me. "Thank you so much, Chester! You're a hero!"

"Didn't you hear? I _am_ a Hero of Space-Time, after all..." She lets go with a grin on her face. Heh, even if she's a brat... she kinda reminds me of Ami. Maybe because they're around the same age... and they're both really innocent... well, besides Merilynn being a thief... "I'll have to bring my sister with me sometime... I'm sure you two would get along great!"

"Ehhh? You have a sister?!"

"Yeah. She's about your age, too!"

"Really?! I'd love to meet her! What's she like??"

"She's a sweet kid, though very naïve... Anyway, I have to figure out how to get back to where I was... Arche's in danger..."

"Ah! Oh no, you mean you were helping me out while your girlfriend's in trouble?!"

"She's not my girlfriend!" I yell. Geez, _nothing_ gets into this kid's head, does it?!

"G-go help her, hurry!"

"I don't know how!"

"Well... you're starting to fade... Ah, maybe you're going back now!"

"Really?!"

"Yep! And Chester... thank you for helping me... and my people. Next time you come back... I wanna learn how to fight! Okay?!"

Heh, she _really_ sounds like Ami there... "We'll see about that." I don't know if she heard me—everything's black now as I return to my friends...

**Klarth gained the title of Intellectual Curiosity. I wonder what this machine does... It is a title given to one who likes ****learning about new**** things.**

**Arche gained the title of Eager Explorer. It is a title given to one who excitedly explores unknown areas.**

**Dhaos gained the title of ****Aggressive**** Negotiator. If you won't work with words, then maybe a little Impact will soften you up...**

**Chester gained the title of Sarcastic Man. ****Sarcastic? Me? I'm not sarcastic at all!**

**Chester gained the title of Friezkiel Protector. It is a title given to the one who protected the ****city**** of Friezkiel from invaders.**


	41. Kind Brother

**--Kind Brother--**

I blink a few times as my surroundings change. Now I'm in a bed... It's a bed with purple sheets and a brown roof. The room is furnished with another bed, a grown desk, a green table with two purple chairs, and a wooden bookshelf with many colors of books. There are also a few white, marble stands with plants on them, the vases of the plants a tan color. The walls are mainly beige, with many purple columns leading up to the ceiling; between the columns are turquoise drapes, but no windows. The bottom of the wall has a forest green line, with an intricate golden design above it. The rug—a diamond shape—is violet with a golden outline, and below it is a turquoise rug. The bottom carpet is the same violet color—and design—as the top rug. My friends are all standing in the room, with a man I don't recognize standing above me.

"You certainly do have a strange disease," the man says. He has long, blue hair, neatly tied back into a ponytail, with a little bit hanging over his sapphire right eye. He has a long, black cloak—the inside's red—over his clothes. His bottom shirt is black, but there's a red vest over it. On his arms is a red cloth that goes from his elbows to his fingers, with a black guard over it. His pants are pure white, and disappear into his tall, black boots; to keep the black-and-red-theme going, there's a band of red across the top of his boots. Everything—everywhere the clothes change color or where there's lacking a design—is outlined in gold. Hey, his ears are a little pointed... Is he an elf or a half elf...?

"All right, what happened this time?" Dad questions sternly. I don't need to ask what he means; he must mean in the vision or whatever it is, where I see Merilynn...

"There's a war going on, and the knights of Odin were attacking the capital of Fenrir..."

"And you joined in the war?"

"I was only trying to protect the civilians," I argue.

"So then what happened to your arm?"

I stare down—ack, it's still wounded! My arm's wrapped up in bandages, red now from my blood. "The captain of the Odin knights wanted a piece of me."

"Looks like he got it," Arche quips deviously, and I throw a glare at her.

Mint walks over to me and gently begins unwrapping the bandages on my arm. Huh? Why'd she bother wrapping it up in the first place...? Couldn't she just heal it...?

"Chester-kun, have you taken a good look at your arm?" questions Milard.

Huh? I look—ick, he got it pretty good! The wound is deep, and all around it my skin is red, as if it's a rash... a really large rash. My friends stare at me, expecting an answer. "It's exactly as I said. He was using a sword and he got a little close."

"Onii-chan, be careful..."

"Yes, now we know something important—any wounds you get while there carry over to here," Dad points out. "But as far as we know, we can't go with you... so don't be reckless."

"I'm fine," I assure them. "Besides, I have Mint and Milard to heal me if anything happens, right?"

"Y-yes!" Mint puts her hand over my arm and begins concentrating; "Heal!" Yellow magic swirls around her and then goes into my wound, closing most of it up. That rash is still there... "The rest will heal with time."

"Thanks, Mint." I glance away, towards the unknown man, as Mint wraps the rash up with a new bandage. "Who are you?"

"I do not see the need to introduce myself until I know who you are and what you want," the man replies. "And _what_ you are, for some of you..."

"We're simple travelers," Dad explains. "For the humans, we have me, Klarth F. Lester, Milard Rune, Chester Barklight, Ami Barklight, Cless Alvein, Mint Adnade, Fujibayashi Suzu—"

"Fujibayashi? Are you related to Fujibayashi Sheena?"

"Yes." Suzu pauses, considering her next words. "It's... a distant relationship..." The Sheena of this time isn't her sister... they have the same spirit, but not relations... So would the Sheena of this time be Suzu's ancestor? Whoa, that'd be weird!

"I see... Continue with the introductions, then."

"Arche Klaine is a half elf and Dhaos is..."

"I'm from Derris-Kharlan, but I have nothing to do with the organization there now."

"Really? Just what are you, then? You're not a half elf..." the man concludes. Is he a half elf, then?

"I am an angel of Derris-Kharlan," Dhaos explains.

"You're not a lifeless being like the ones there now."

The snake scowls. "I told you I have nothing to do with them!"

"And how am I supposed to know you're telling the truth? I haven't seen you around before, but that doesn't mean you're not a member of Cruxis..."

"I said—"

"If you want to know the truth," Dad interrupts, "we're actually from the future. The people of Derris-Kharlan in our time are nothing like the ones there now, if Dhaos is any indication."

"From the future...?" he questions skeptically.

"That's right. You're Yuan, I presume?" To the summoner's question, the man nods. "Well then, Yuan... For the future of both Aselia and Derris-Kharlan... we need to know about Martel."

Now Yuan's taken aback. "Martel?! ...I hope you realize that she's dead..."

"Lloyd told us about her spirit being intertwined with the Great Seed," Cless speaks up.

"Lloyd? Lloyd Irving? They said you know him... just how do you know him if you're from the future?"

"We met up with him," I explain. "Besides, he's been reborn in our time... but his last name's different, so we're not fully sure that's the same Lloyd."

"What do you mean?"

"Lloyd's been adopted in this time, so I can only assume he's Lloyd Irving now. In our time, he's Lloyd Aurion."

"I see... so _Lloyd_ is Kratos' lost son..."

"Yuan-san..." Cless speaks up, "could you please tell us what you know? If Martel was a half elf, then how does she become a goddess? What's happening to her now?"

"...Martel is not a goddess—that's just what Cruxis has told the common people," Yuan explains.

"Maybe she isn't a goddess yet, but by our time, she is," Mint speaks up. "She is the goddess inside Yggdrasil—the giant tree that supplies mana for all of Aselia."

"Yggdrasil's a tree in your time? And... Aselia?"

"Aselia's what this world will be called once Tethe'alla and Sylvarant are one world," I input. "That Great Seed Martel's in now... I'm willing to bet it's going to become Yggdrasil."

"So the Tree of Mana gets named after the Yggdrasil siblings... interesting..."

"Siblings?"

"Martel Yggdrasil and her younger brother, Mithos Yggdrasil," explains Yuan. "Mithos Yggdrasil is now the leader of Cruxis... his aim is to bring his sister back and eliminate discrimination, among other things."

He's trying to resurrect his sister...? I can kinda understand that... what would I do if something were to happen to _my_ sister...? Ami grabs on to my sleeve, and I pull my little sister on the bed so that she's sitting next to me. And discrimination... if it was gone, then maybe Arche could live freely, without having to worry about the elves or anything...

"So for that, he fused her with the Great Seed?"

"Yes. It's supposed to be to protect her... but if anything happens to that seed, then Martel will die as well."

"And when it sprouts, she'll be only a spirit fused with it... Is that why we call her a goddess, or is there something else to it?" the summoner questions. "All she'll have left is her personal mana... which she could probably use to regulate the mana of the tree."

"So then she's just a regulator of Yggdrasil's mana? Is that why she went to Derris-Kharlan—to regulate the mana for _their_ tree?"

"No doubt," Dhaos speaks up. "Our world was low on mana... and the Mana Seed you sent to our world had to survive new conditions it wasn't ready for, and grow to a large enough size to support the world... Even after two thousand years, she's still trying to make sure Derris-Kharlan's new tree can last on its own—until _your_ gods came and destroyed it."

"They feared for Aselia alone... Yggdrasil's never lived without Martel; adaptation to suddenly not having her takes time... time that Aselia doesn't have with the use of magitechnology."

We all pause. So in the end, what _is_ Martel...? We humans refer to her as a goddess, but... she's a ghost, right? Though she's more powerful than I was when I was dead... she's like living mana. I guess only an elf or a half elf could become a 'god', then...

...So then what did Fenrir want with me? _"But once I save Aselia, I'll take your spirit back with me... to the land of the gods..."_ Ugh, just thinking about it gives me the creeps... I like being alive, thanks... Huh, I wonder what the land of the gods is like... what sort of creatures live there...? Does Martel go there, or is she always stuck in the tree?

Wait, why am I even thinking about this...? We have more pressing matters...

"This world... has it always been two worlds, or was it originally one world, like in our time?" Milard questions.

"It was originally one world," answers Yuan. "It was split it into two."

"That's just crazy...! Could _anyone_, god or not, have the power to do that?!" I demand.

"...I think I've spoken enough on this matter," Yuan says as he turns away. Wha?! "If you wish to know more, then why don't you talk to Yggdrasil or Kratos?"

"Well, if you're with the Renegades _and_ Cruxis, we'll need your help finding both of them," Dad says.

"I don't keep tabs on Kratos!" the half elf man yells curtly. "As for Yggdrasil, he left without telling anyone where he was going." We fall into silence. So now we'll have to search two worlds for them... "...However, we Renegades need to find Kratos as well, and my men are spread out at the moment." Yuan turns back around to face us. "Why don't we make a deal? You help us find Kratos, and I'll give you more information. And naturally, you'd get a chance to question him yourself."

"So your official stance is with the Renegades?" Dad inquires.

"...Correct. I suggest you do not tell anyone, or else we might have to kill you."

"We have no reason to expose your secret. In fact, it might be in our best interest not to. However, I would like to talk to my friends _alone_ about this before accepting or declining the mission."

Yuan nods. "Understood. I will be waiting just outside for your answer." He turns away and starts to walk towards the door.

"Wait!" I call out, causing him to turn back questioningly. "...I'm hungry."

"That's what you get for not eating breakfast!" Arche teases.

"This is _not_ a restaurant!" protests our host.

"Aren't you the one asking for our help?" questions my father.

Yuan's scowl deepens, annoyed. "Fine, I'll see if they're making anything. If not, you're on your own." He walks out without another word.

"Thanks, Dad. That was pretty good thinking!"

"That's what I'm here for."

"Klarth-san, what did you want to talk about? It seems like a pretty solid plan... we'll learn more, right?" the steed points out.

Dad folds his arms over his stomach. "It's quite chilly in here, don't you think? Would someone make it a little warmer?"

"Huh?! But it's not cold at all!" protests Arche.

"Geez, only an _old man_ would be cold here!" I quip.

"Merciless Thunder!"

"Lightning!"

Wha?! Suzu and Dhaos are now facing opposite ways as electricity explodes around us. "Okay, what just happened?!"

"Thank you, Suzu, Dhaos." Dad walks over to something that must've fallen in the lightning blasts; he picks it up and holds it to show the rest of us. Cameras...! He puts a finger on his lips to tell us to be quiet.

I hear it... I hear whispering outside! Whispering and shifting... they're eavesdropping on us! How can we stop them from listening in on our conversation...?

Dad indicates for us to continue talking as he quietly walks over to the door.

"I-I'm not sure if that quite did the trick!" Cless says loudly. "Maybe a fire spell would've been better..."

"I don't know, I feel like it's livened up a little," speaks the cleric.

Dad's trying to listen for the guards. Can he not hear them whispering? I catch his eye and give a nod to let him know that they're eavesdropping.

"...I think you're right, Mint... Arche, could you help a little?" Now he's obviously pointing to the door.

"Sure thing!" The witch begins concentrating on a spell... "Cyclone!" she hisses as softly as she can, and wind begins swirling around us, making a loud noise so that the guards are drowned out. She's concentrating hard to keep it from destroying everything... that's a relief.

The swordsman puts his hands on his hips. "All right, Klarth-san. What do you want to talk about that the Renegades can't know?"

"I'm not the one who wants to talk." Dad opens his spell book and begins concentrating on a summon... "Though I must warn you, he's a little annoyed with us... not that that's really anything new..." Huh? We had to do all of this just so one of his summon spirits could talk to us...? "My name is Klarth F. Lester... by our contract, I summon thee, Origin!" Not just any spirit, either...!

Origin appears before us, his cold, ruby eyes glaring at us. "I did _not_ say I wanted to talk. I simply wanted _you_ to tell them my warnings!"

"Yes, but you know more than you're telling me."

"I'm not telling you anything."

"My point exactly. You know something about this time, don't you, Origin?"

"...Of course. I was around during this time..." The spirit scowls. "Do all of you realize the position you're in? One seemingly harmless move could throw Aselia's whole future off-balance and make everything even _more_ uncertain than it already is! Don't any of you do anything reckless!"

"Don't worry, Origin, we'll do our best not to change anything!" Cless kindly assures the spirit.

"If that's so, then why are you bearing that sword?"

"Eh?!"

"Luckily Yuan hasn't notice that that's the Eternal Sword... but I doubt it will go by Mithos' eye unchecked."

"You speak as if you know them," Dad says, catching Origin off-guard. Origin stalls and then turns away, obviously not wanting to tell us any more.

"That's none of your business. Now listen to me, you have to use another sword while here—I can effectively hide the Eternal Sword. Buy a new one as soon as you get to town, and then find somewhere where you can give me the Eternal Sword. Also, none of you can ever mention that I'm here—it would create problems. It might be wise not to let anyone know that Klarth is a summoner..."

"Eh? But why?" That seems odd...

"As far as they know, I should be sealed away... If they discover that Klarth has a pact with me or that Cless has the Eternal Sword, their problems won't be among themselves anymore—they will go after Klarth and Cless."

"So you and the Eternal Sword are important to this time?" inquires Mint; Origin nods. "...I understand. We'll stop by the closest weapon shop!"

"Origin, do you know where we can find Kratos?" questions the meerkat.

"He should be in Heimdall about now."

"Well if you know that, I'd say you know him pretty well!" taunts my father.

"Cheh..." He's pretty annoyed all right... he glares down at us like we're nothing to him. "I have no reason to tell you any more."

"Oh come on, aren't we buddies by now? We've had a pact for what, two thousand years?"

The spirit says nothing—he simply glares coldly before vanishing into a trail of particles that enter the Diamond Ring.

"Oh yeah, great buddies all right... you're _so_ much help, you know," Dad mutters sarcastically to the ring.

"Klarth-san... we're going to get Kratos for the Renegades then, right?"

"Might as well... I doubt it'd make much of a difference whether we did or not—from Yuan's determination, I figure he'll find a way to get Kratos no matter what."

"Heimdall's the land of the elves, right?" questions my sister, excited; Dad nods. "Yay! That'll be so cool to see!"

"Heimdall again..."

"Arche-chan..."

That's right, the discrimination... I wonder if it was the same at this time... _"I understand the feelings of those who persecute them, because my daughter is a half elf. She terrifies me!"_ Keh, probably... even humans seem to discriminate against them in this time...

"It's fine! Let's go get Kratos quickly!" Arche declares. "Can I take the Cyclone off now?"

"Go ahead."

The wind dies down, and I hear the voices outside talking... "Wait! That sound... the wind's died down."

"Are the cameras back?"

"I'll go check!"

"Sir, what should we do about what we missed?"

"There's nothing we can do... that was nicely played on their part."

"Sounds like they missed us," I say jokingly. Wait a second... "W-why are you all staring at me like that?!"

"You can hear what they're talking about?" Cless questions.

"You can't?"

"It's too muffled... I can't make out the words."

"Huh? That's odd... I can hear it clearly."

"I can't even hear it that well..." Arche speaks up.

"I can hear the loud parts clearly, but not the rest," inputs the angel.

"Eh?! Are you sure you're not just deaf from that loud wind?" They pause, thinking and staring. I turn away; "Whatever, let's just let that Yuan guy know that we'll help him!"

"R-right!"

Dad walks over to the door and swings it open, presenting Yuan and three Renegades.

"Well, you effectively kept us from eavesdropping. I take it that was your intent," the half elf man says coldly.

"And you were trying to eavesdrop. I'd say we're even, wouldn't you?" Dad combats.

"...Very well. So do you accept the mission or not?"

"We accept. What do you want us to do when we find Kratos?"

"Bring him here. I don't care how you do it. He's most likely somewhere in Tethe'alla... Try to find him by tomorrow night. When you return, we'll talk more about Martel over dinner."

"Agreed." The two men shake on it.

"Show them out," Yuan orders, and the three Renegades lead the way out of their base and out into the snow. The dock is almost right outside, and the white ground leading to it is completely flat. Behind their turquoise base are mountains...

We walk to the port and I open the wing pack, letting our ship jump into the rough waters. Arche hovers on, my sister following at a run behind her. The rest of us calmly walk on.

"Your sister's really cute, Chester-san," Mint says.

"Yes, and sweet," agrees Milard.

"Yeah, until you know her for a while... She's so childish."

"Maybe that would be because she, in fact, _is_ a child," the tiger speaks up.

"That's not what I meant!" I argue. "I meant how she always wants me to play kiddy games with her—it's annoying!"

"Well, she _is_ a kid..." the swordsman offers.

"Oh never mind!" I grumble as I quicken my pace towards the wheel of the ship. Geez...

I feel the ship start moving as the wind catches its sails, and I start steering away from the port. Dad and Milard come to join me.

"Chester-kun, are you still hungry?"

"Yeah, kinda..."

"What would you like to eat?"

"How about a hotdog?"

"All right, I'll be back with one shortly." With that, the meerkat retreats.

"Well, Dad? Which way?"

"We passed by Heimdall before... Hm, let's see, where are we now..." He pulls out his map of Tethe'alla and pauses as he studies it, turning it to try and figure out where to go. We're surrounded by snowy rocks on all sides...

"We want to go south out of these rocks..."

"Yeah, easier said than done..." I turn the wheel and steady the ship as we go between the largest gap I see, straight at another rock. I hope this ship can turn quickly...

"I'll help guide it..." Green light catches my eye as a magic circle appears around my father. "I, Klarth F. Lester, summon thee of the four winds... Come, Sylph!"

The soft winds from Sylph guide the ship past the rocks, and then help it turn to get through the gap almost directly to the left... We're out! The green wind returns to Dad's pact ring.

"Thanks Dad!"

"Of course! Now then, turn to the right a little..."

"Towards those mountains?" There are mountains ahead of us now that I've turned the ship...

"We want to go on the right side of the mountains. That island should be Altamira."

"Oh!" I do as he commands; with the ship headed the right way, I steady it as it sails smoothly between the mountains on the left and a beach on the right. There's Altamira... I can see that tall hotel peeking above all of the other buildings.

"Here's your food, Chester-kun," Milard's voice pipes up as she rejoins us.

"Thanks."

"I'll take over steering," offers the summoner, and I let him. I duck out, taking the food from Milard, and lean against the rail of the ship to eat. This tastes so good...

"Klarth, do you want anything to eat?"

"I'm fine, thanks... We're going to make a pit stop at Altamira for a sword—could you tell Cless?"

"Of course."

As Dad docks the ship, Milard hurries off to find the swordsman. I continue eating. Cless shouldn't be long... We wait in silence; the meerkat rejoins us, letting us know that Cless and Mint were headed into the city.

"Thanks, Milard."

"No problem. So then, we're headed to Heimdall next?" She pulls out the map and the two begin studying it.

"Yeah. It's pretty close, but we didn't see any ports around last time we went through."

"That could be a problem... Why don't we ask someone here where the closest port to Heimdall is?"

"It's probably on the other side of Heimdall."

"It doesn't hurt to ask, and we won't be searching around forever."

"If we follow the coast, I'm sure we'll find a port in no time," argues my father.

"Don't be so stubborn! We'll go a lot faster if we can go straight to the port."

"The elves must have a way of trade, so we should find a port in no time. It'll be fine."

"Boys..."

Heh, so even Dad can be stubborn about simple things like this... It's kinda amusing to listen to.

"Klarth-san," Cless' voice speaks up; he walks up to us. "We need to hide the Eternal Sword now."

"Right. Milard, would you start us to Heimdall? I'll be back in a few minutes."

"Fine, fine... but don't blame me if we take forever finding a port," mutters Milard as she takes the wheel. Wind catches the sails and we slowly move out of the port as Dad and Cless retreat to the back. I guess they're going below deck, where no one can see them...

I finish up my food and stand up. "Do you need me to help with anything?"

"No, I have it. Why don't you go spend some time with the others, Chester-kun?"

"All right." Might as well... I wave to her and walk off, towards the middle area of the ship.

"Waaaaaaaah!" the rabbit yells, and I see her spinning in circles, holding her red hammer out. Mint and Arche are standing near her, worried, and Dhaos is staring out to sea, trying to ignore the commotion.

"A-Ami-chan!"

"Watch out!"

The door leading below deck opens—"Ah, Cless-san!"

Ami crashes into the swordsman and they both fall. Dad walks up behind Cless, holding his hat.

"Ami! Cless!" I rush over to them; my sister tries to push herself up, but she sways, dizzy.

"Ah! C-Cless-san! I-I'm sorry!"

Cless only chuckles. That idiot... "Were you practicing again, Ami? What skill was that?"

"It's called Dual Punishment!"

"It's a good skill! You're quite strong with it..."

"Sorry, Cless-san!"

"Ah, no, I'm fine!"

"A-are you sure? Let me see!" Mint demands as she rushes over to the steed. "Heal!"

"Thank you, Mint." Cless smiles up at her and they both just stare for a minute.

"Hey! Cless-san!" Ami bops him with her hammer, her face puffed up in annoyance.

"Eh? What's wrong, Ami?"

"Oh nothing!" She sounds annoyed... heh, poor Cless doesn't realize that she likes him!

"Reckless..." mutters Dhaos as he brushes past everyone and walks below deck. Keh... Ami looks down, saddened now.

"I'm trying to get better..."

"You're doing great, Ami! Don't let what Dhaos said get to you!" encourages my best friend.

"That's right! He and Chester could have a contest to see who's more prissy!" Why that little...!

"I am _not_ prissy, annoying girl!" I yell at Arche.

"Idiot!"

"Dork!"

"Jerk!"

"Ditz!"

"Irritating man!"

"Crazy girl!"

"What was that?!"

"You're the one who started it!" We glare at each other. Oh how I hate her...! She's always so annoying and... and _stupid_!

But... what was with this morning, when she hugged me...? _"But I'm sure we could make it even better!"_ What did she mean...?

"Chester? Is something wrong?" she asks, her bright face full of confusion.

"N-no, nothing!" I turn away. Ami isn't here anymore... Neither is Dad, come to think of it... he's probably gone back up front to help Milard. "I-I'm going to go find Ami..." I walk below deck. I hope she wasn't hurt from what Dhaos said... if he does anything to hurt my sister, I swear I'll make him pay!

I hear her... she's sniffling... I softly open the door leading into the girl's bedroom, where I see Ami sitting in a bed, her hammer resting against the wall next to her.

"Ami..."

"Onii-chan... Ah, I was feeling tired, s-so..."

"Liar. Listen, don't let what an idiot like Dhaos said get to you! You're working hard to become stronger, right? That's what matters..." I sit down next to the little girl. "Besides, it was kinda funny watching you knock Cless down like that!"

"Ahhh! No it wasn't—Cless-san got hurt!" she yells, and I laugh. "It's not funny, Onii-chan!"

"Yeah, yeah... whatever you say!" I continue laughing—Ami's reaction to this is the best part of it!

"Hmph!" My sister turns away from me, folding her arms over her stomach. "You're mean, Onii-chan!"

"Isn't it an older brother's job to pick on his little sister?" I joke as I pat her head, purposely messing up her hair.

"Ah! Onii-chan, stop! I'm gonna tell Dad!"

"Don't think I'm going to let you do that!" As she starts to get up, I grab her around the stomach and pull her over to me.

"H-hey, let me go!"

"Not a chance! You're mine now!" I grin down at her. "I'm not letting you go 'til I know you're feeling better!"

"Onii-chan..." She giggles. "You're always so kind in a mean way, Onii-chan!"

"Wha?! That doesn't even make sense!"

"But... Cless-san... The way Cless-san was looking at Mint-san..." Oh... so that's what this is about... "It's not fair! I've known Cless-san longer!"

Well this is a mess... my little sister loves my best friend, but he loves someone else... What the heck am I supposed to do?!

Geez... Well, Cless wouldn't be happy with me for this, but... I can't just let Ami be sad... "Are you giving up already? Wuss!"

"Ah! I am not!"

"Then why are you giving up so soon? If you really want something, you won't give up, no matter what." Ack, that didn't come out quite like I wanted... that's only going to create _more_ problems for Cless... heh heh, whoops!

"...You're right! I'm not giving up on Cless-san! I-I know, I'll make him something!"

"...Then again, you're just a kid. Shouldn't you find someone closer to your age?"

"No! Cless-san is the one I love! As soon as we stop in town, I'm buying materials to make something!"

Maybe I should've let it fall... but then Ami would've been sad... I know she's not going to get him—he loves Mint, and Mint loves him back. Maybe I can lead Ami to let go of Cless slowly...

...Ah! "And just what do you plan on buying materials with? I'm not buying them for you, you know!"

"Ah, um... I'll see if Dad will buy them for me!"

"Already taking advantage of him..."

"You're one to talk. You've been giving him a hard time from the start!" my sister accuses.

"It's more fun like that! C'mon, let's go hang out with everyone else, okay?"

She nods and we stand up; we walk out the door and through the halls, back above deck. There are cliffs passing by to our left... I wonder how much longer it'll be until we reach a port. I head to the front to ask Dad and Milard.

They're both still there—Dad's steering now, and Milard's sitting next to him. Neither of them seem to hear me and Ami walk up; I don't know why Ami's still following me...

"Dad!" Ami calls out as she runs up and grabs his cloaks.

"Ami! Hello! Ah, and Chester as well!" Heh, we have the whole family here! Though Milard's not part of the family... yet...

"Hey."

"Dad! Can we buy materials when we reach town?" Sheesh, she doesn't waste any time, does she?

"Materials? For what?"

"I'm going to make a doll for Cless-san!"

"And you want me to buy the materials?"

"Please, Dad?"

"Tell you what, you help me find a port and I'll buy you the materials."

"Yay! Will do!" The rabbit rushes to the left rail of the ship enthusiastically, searching for a port along the coast. Milard giggles and I sit down next to her and Dad.

"So we're just looking for a port, then?"

"Yes. We passed Heimdall a while ago... We've been searching along the coast for a port ever since," the meerkat explains.

"I'm afraid that at this rate, we won't reach Heimdall by nightfall."

I keep an eye on the cliffs as we talk, searching for a place to dock... There's a gap in the cliffs, which we all watch carefully until we can tell that there's no port down that way... figures. The cliffs start back up, and ahead of us I see more land... Milard has the map laid out in front of us, her finger on a rough estimate of where we are—we're at the south of the map, at about the center of the large, southeastern continent, and that land ahead of us is part of this continent.

"Do you see anything in this gap, Ami?"

"No, but I can't see the end of it..."

"It's not that big," Milard speaks up, tapping the gap between the cliffs on the map. "I doubt there's a port there."

"I hope there isn't, because it's too late to turn back now..." the summoner mutters as he spins the wheel to the right, to go around the part of the continent sticking out.

There's wood among the cliffs ahead—"There's a port!" I jump up.

"Nice spot, Chester! Will you and Ami go let everyone know?"

"Sure thing!" we chorus as we dash to where we left everyone else—well, everyone except Dhaos. I guess this has become the hang out spot of the ship...

"We're about to dock," I inform them.

"Ah! That's great!"

"It sure took long enough!" Arche _would_ complain...

"Stop complaining and get ready to lower the anchor," I quip.

"I know!"

"Where's Dhaos-san? He should know, too!" my sister speaks up.

"The last time I saw him is when he went below deck earlier..." says the princess.

"Great, one of you go find him—I'm not getting anywhere near that guy!"

"Eh? Why do you hate him, Chester?" Cless questions.

"He's rude and cold... He always seems to think that he's above everyone else! I hate that!"

"He's a strong ally," Suzu speaks up.

"I don't care! I still hate him!"

"I'll go let him know!" Wha—Ami?! She races below deck, accidentally slamming the door behind herself.

"Never mind, I'm going," I say as I storm over to the door; I throw it open and start walking down the stairs.

"So Ami becomes involved and he swallows his pride..." I hear my best friend mumble from the top of the stairs.

"Interesting..." agrees Suzu.

The half elf giggles. "Chester's so predictable!"

"I AM NOT!" I yell up. Geez... she always has to be so annoying!

Now then, where's Ami...

"Dhaos-san! We're almost there!" I hear her call out. Which room is it...

"It's about time. This trip took way too long."

"It doesn't take as long when you have fun!" I find the door and grab the knob.

"We're not here to have fun!" argues Dhaos. "We're here to learn how to fight the gods!" Eh? Should I open the door or listen a little longer...? I think I'll listen... I'm kinda curious...

"That's no reason we can't have fun along the way!" Ami says cheerfully. "If you don't make it fun, then what's the point?"

"The point is to save our planets!"

"That's not what I meant... When you look back, don't you want to have happy memories, fun times that you can tell your friends about during your travels? Not many people get to travel through time and across the world like this... you should make the most of it! There's lots of fun things to do along the way, even if it's just talking to each other while waiting for the ship to arrive or walk, right?" A pause. "I'm going to do my best to make the most out of this journey, so that when it's all over, I can look back at the happy memories with a smile! You should do the same, Dhaos-san! I'll help you if you want!"

"There's nothing _fun_ about this. We're here on strict business!"

"Don't you want to have a good time, though...? To get to know everyone...?"

"No! Now leave me alone!"

"O-okay... sorry..." Ami... She sounds sad because of _him_! I hate that man...!

I open the door and my sister's face suddenly brightens up. "Onii-chan! Are we docked yet? Let's go—I wanna see Heimdall! Come on, Dhaos-san!" Ami grabs his arm and begins pulling with all her might; Dhaos stands up and starts following, his face full of bafflement. Wha?! Does she not care about how rude he was to her?!

Hmph... I hate this! I grab my sister's wrist and pull, wrenching her away from Dhaos.

"Ow, Onii-chan!"

"The others are probably waiting for us. You're too slow!" Okay, calm down... I don't even know why I'm so annoyed. Ami's only trying to help him, even if he's rude to her... I bend down, my back towards Ami. "How about a lift?"

My sister's grin widens. "Yay!" She climbs onto my back and I stumble up—she's heavier than I thought! I wrap my arms around her legs to help her stay up better.

"Ready? Here we go!" I take off running, my little sister giggling on my back. I jog up the stairs until we reach the door leading outside, where I stop and crouch down. "This is the end of the line."

"Aww..." Ami complains, but she climbs down anyway; I stand up straight, smoothing out my clothes, and then I open the door.

We've already docked, and the others are all leaving the ship now; I follow them off, my sister and the angel behind me.

"Which way to Heimdall?" questions Cless.

"This way." As I return the ship to our wing pack, Dad begins walking forward and a little to the left. The rest of us follow his lead, walking quickly across the green land. It's still bright out, but the sun's starting to go down a little... I wonder how far off Heimdall is... I hope Kratos is still there by the time we reach it.

**Klarth gained the title of Lone Navigator. Directions? I don't need to ask for directions! I can figure it out on my own!**

**Ami gained the title of Diligent Worker. It is a title given to one who always works hard to get better.**

**Chester gained the title of Kind Brother. It is a title given to one who cheers up his little sister, no matter what the circumstances.**

**Dhaos gained the title of Serious Business. There's nothing here to have fun about, nothing at all!**

**Ami learned Dual Punishment.**


	42. Super Sonic Hearing

**No guesses on Chester's disease yet? Aww, c'mon, you know you wanna participate... maybe... You still have eight guesses! -:D''**

**Anyway, this chapter has some hints, so maybe it'll help!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Tales of games. They are owned by Namco.**

**--Super Sonic Hearing--**

We follow the cliffs by the ocean.

"Demon Fist!" Dhaos' attack hits a monster that's charging at us; there are two lizards—are those basilisks?—one giant mantis, and a giant scorpion. The angel's attack hits the first of them, the mantis, as they charge at us from our right.

I notch an arrow on my bow and swiftly aim up towards the sky. "Wild Rain!" That slows all three of them down as Cless, Ami, and Suzu charge in. The two kids are busying themselves with the basilisks, while Cless takes the mantis. I aim my sights on the remaining enemy, shooting another arrow at it.

"Power Seal!" Out of the corner of my eye, I notice blue runes engulf the basilisk that my sister's fighting.

"Sharpness!" For a second, red energy surrounds the swordsman of the group.

"I summon thee... Come, Mieu!"

The little blue creature appears above the scorpion and charges down, yelling, "Aaattack!" Afterwards, it spins around, hovering in the air, and spits fire out of its mouth; "Fire!" After that, it disappears in a poof of smoke. ...That was so sad, it was cute. Well, the scorpion's dead, so it was effective. I turn my arrow onto the basilisk that my sister's fighting and release.

"Eruption!"

"Earthquake!"

Whoa! Fire's exploding all around, and the ground's moving... I'm not fully sure what's going on! It's all ahead of me, though—"Ami!"

The fire clears and the ground calms, and the three fighters are standing there as the monsters vanish, dead.

"My spells are the best!" cheers Arche.

"Be a little more careful next time!" I quip. "Those spells are dangerous!"

"Oh shaddup!"

We keep on going. I see more monsters around, but we leave them alone—no point in fighting them if they're not attacking us, right?

Hey, there's a mine in the mountains ahead... "Where are we?"

"That must be Morlia," Dad says.

"Wow! It really _is_ an old cave!" exclaims the witch.

"Amazing..." agrees her best friend.

"Yeah, it's still standing in this time. We shouldn't let Arche enter it!" I joke.

"Hey, shaddup! You jerk!"

"Now now, settle down..." mutters the tiger. "Let's keep going." We continue walking, around the bit of ocean that protrudes into the land just in front of the mineshaft. Now we stick to the base of the mountains, which soon leads us into a forest. It's getting really dark now, so Arche creates a fireball for us to see by. If we can just get a little farther today...

I hear something... a monster?! I pull my bow out and aim it in the direction of the noise.

"Is something wrong, Chester?"

"Quiet!" I hiss. "There's something over there!"

They pull out their weapons and we all wait in silence... There! A large bee charges at us—I release the arrow. The others charge in as more monsters—two large, black birds and another mantis—follow the bee, seeking blood. Even in the low light, I can see them clearly... I charge fire energy into my arrow and release it at the mantis. "Hell Pyre!"

The others can barely see them—they're getting hit a lot! One of the birds charges at Cless—"Cless, watch out!" I release the arrow, but it misses, and my best friend falls. "Cless!" No!

"Cless-san! Cure!"

"Thank you, Mint." Good, he's okay... "Mint, let's do a Unison Attack."

"Do you mean Pow Spear? But we can't see them..."

"No. Use Barrier."

"...All right."

As Mint begins charging up, my sister wildly spins towards the mantis. "Dual Punishment!" That dork... She hits, and the mantis stalls, dizzy.

"Everyone, over here!" the swordsman calls out as he sticks his sword in the ground; we all run over to him.

"Barrier!"

"Strike!"

A barrier forms around Cless as he and Mint concentrate on their attack. The enemies charge at us and hit the barrier—what the?! The barrier hurts them...! One of the birds and the bee fall, and I shoot an arrow at the other bird, killing it.

"Nice thinking, Cless!" Dad complements.

The swordsman grabs his sword and swings it at the remaining enemy, jumping into the air as he does so—"Tiger Blade!"

The mantis falls. All right!

Cless turns to us, a smile on his kind face. "Did you see that?"

"You were amazing, Cless-san!" Ami cheers.

"Yes, excellent work," says my father.

"We're counting on you, Cless-san."—Mint.

"Shall we camp here, then?" questions the meerkat. "We can barely see as it is..."

"Yeah. Cless, Chester, Dhaos, will you help me gather wood?"

"Sure." The four of us guys explore the area within the light of Arche's fire, looking for branches to us. Here's one... I pick it up and put it under my left arm. I do the same for the next two before putting some under my other arm. There's lots of wood lying around here! I'm already full on what I can carry... I take it back to the camp, where the girls are setting up the food and Dad's making the fire pit. I dump my wood in the pit, and the half elf throws her fire ball at it. The wood catches on fire, making a nice little camp fire... Cless and Dhaos return, putting their logs into the fire. As Mint and Milard begin setting up for cooking, the rest of my friends find a spot on the ground to relax. Hm...

"Are you not going to sit, Chester?" my best friend asks.

"I will in a minute." I begin looking around, for small, long sticks... I'm going to make some more arrows tonight. I pick up a bunch lying around until I have a hand full, and then I find a place to sit. Let's see... I wonder what I did with that dagger I once had... I must've lost it...

"Chester, here." I look up; Dad tosses something at me, which I catch. Hey, it's a knife! It's one of those that sheathes in itself and flips out! I open it up—the blade is nice! "It's yours if you want."

"Really?!"—he nods—"Thanks, Dad!" I dump the sticks next to me and then take one; I begin carving it into an arrow.

"Today's been pretty productive," Cless speaks up.

"Yes. Let's try to get a lot done tomorrow as well," the summoner agrees. We pause, the only noise coming from the fire and my woodwork.

"...Doesn't it bother you?" Dhaos suddenly speaks up, catching our attention. "Chester's hearing is far better than that of any human, and even better than mine and the half elf's. Or have none of you noticed?"

"What are you talking about?! My hearing is normal. There was just loud wind before that time!"

"I've noticed," Dad says. Wha?! "And it wasn't just that time, either. Before those monsters attacked us today... you heard them long before the rest of us."

"Eh? Really?"

"And when you followed Ami down below deck, you were out of hearing range of what Arche, Suzu-chan, and I were talking about, but you still heard."

"That's odd... I don't know why my hearing would've gotten better all of a sudden."

"You don't think it has anything to do with the disease, do you?" suggests the meerkat as she and Mint begin passing out plates of food and drinks.

"That would be a strange disease, if it made Chester's senses better." Cless takes his food with a small 'thank you' to Mint. Milard hands me mine, and I take it.

"I don't know what it is... but we should definitely watch it," Dad says. "Nonetheless, it's still quite useful... We'll be counting on your hearing, Chester!"

"Yeah, I'll let you know if I hear anything odd from now on." My hearing's gotten better... that's kinda strange. Oh well, as Dad said, it'll be useful! I take the silverware and begin cutting the chicken on my plate. I eat it; everyone's fallen quiet with food in their laps. Wow, this is really good...! Mint's outdone herself again!

A few of the others finish their food and lay down, making themselves comfortable. I finish the chicken. I'm still kinda hungry... Oh! I didn't even notice the potatoes and corn... I start eating those.

Ick... Both of them taste kinda bad. I think I've had enough now...

"Did you not like it, Chester?"

"Huh?! Ah, the chicken was excellent! I just got full..." Mint looks so worried, it's hard to tell her that I didn't like the potatoes or the corn.

"Oh! Sorry for making you too much..."

"It's fine."

"Are you all right, Chester? You didn't eat much today... Are you feeling sick?" my father questions.

"I'm fine." I continue carving the sticks. They should just leave it alone...

"Should we keep watch?" Arche asks, sounding excited.

"Yeah. Who wants to take first watch?"

"I will," I offer. I'm not feeling tired anyway.

"I'll take second watch," offers the ninja.

"Then I'll take third," Dad says quickly.

Well that's settled... I continue carving the wood as everyone else finds a spot to sleep.

"Aqua Edge," Dhaos mutters, and magic douses the fire. That's fine... I can see by the light of the moon. In fact, I can see surprisingly well... The moon is bright tonight. I stare up at it. That one's Sylvarant... one of Aselia's two moons. The other moon is probably seen by the people in the other world... I never knew Aselia had such a messed up past!

I continue carving for a while into the night. I'll just keep watch until I get tired... and I'll carve until then. There's not much else to do, and I'm getting quite a few arrows made... This way I won't run out! If I do this every night, I'll never have to worry about buying arrows.

...I'm starting to get a little tired now... how late is it? I stare up at the moon; it's almost directly above me. Wow, I guess it's getting pretty late, huh? I'll just make a few more arrows and then trade out with Suzu...

Uhn... now I'm getting really tired... I don't want to get up, but I need to wake Suzu up... I force myself to my feet and walk over to her. I give her a nudge; she wakes up and nods, understanding. I walk back to where I've been sitting and lay down. This is surprisingly comfortable...

Huh? It's morning now... I see light coming in through the window's of Merilynn's room. Wait, what am I doing here...? The young princess is sitting on her bed, holding her legs. She stares up at me, surprised. "Ch-Chester!"

"Yo. I'm back."

"Heehee, welcome!"

I sit down on the bed next to her. She looks like she's hurting... "You okay?"

"I'm feeling a little sick..."

"Have you told anyone?"

She shakes her head. "No... no one's come in yet."

"Then why not go out and get them? Why don't you wait here while I go get someone?" I stand up again and walk over to the door.

"You can't get out."

Huh? I grab the door—ack! A barrier?! It's stopping me from reaching the door...! "What the heck is a barrier doing here?!"

"It's to keep me from sneaking out at night. They'll take it down soon... before when I usually wake up."

That's terrible...! "But what if you're not feeling well or you get hungry?! Like now, for instance!"

"I go to sleep pretty quickly after I come in here, and I usually don't wake up until after it's down, so it's never been a problem..."

"Are you crazy?! How can they even do this to you?!" I don't understand! She's already lonely—why lock her up?!

I hear something outside—words. The barrier shimmers and disappears, and Merilynn's face perks up. I grab the door and swing it open, surprising the mage—a middle aged man—on the other side.

"You! Who are you?! H-how did you get in there?!"

"Merilynn isn't feeling well. Get her a doctor! And while you're at it, I want to see the king!"

"Who are you to order me around?!"

"Do as he says," Merilynn speaks up. "He's a friend of mine."

"R-right! They'll be here in a minute..." The mage stumbles off, distressed, and I return to my seat on the bed with a sigh.

"...Is Daddy really going to come...?" Merilynn mumbles.

"I sure hope so. Then I'm going to give him a piece of my mind...!"

"...He won't come."

"Huh? Why not?"

"I haven't seen Mommy or Daddy in almost a year..."

Eh? "Why...?"

"I don't know... I stopped seeing them soon after I got this disease. Daddy always works all the time... sometimes I go spy on him, where no one can see me. The one time I tried to talk to him, he yelled at me and sent me back to my room..."

"And your mother?"

"I don't know where she is," the princess answers. "I've searched all over the castle, but... Maybe I've always been in the wrong place at the wrong time..."

All over the castle? But... then why can't she find her mother? And why won't either of her parents come see her and give her support while she's sick...? I'll have to ask the king that when I ask about that stupid barrier!

A doctor and four guards enter the room, and I stand up. The doctor walks straight over to Merilynn, while the guards walk towards me.

"You have a request to see the king?"

"That's right."

"Very well, then. Come with us." They start walking out, and I follow.

"Chester?" the princess calls out.

I spin around, grinning at her. "See you, Merilynn." I hold up a hand and wave before following the guards again.

The guards lead me through the cold, dark halls of the castle... When I see the king, I'm going to have to ask him about all of this! Oh, but I guess first I should tell him about my part against the Odin knights and how I met Merilynn! He might not answer me unless I give him that, at least... Keh, I hate royalty!

Ow, my head suddenly hurts... I hold it, but that doesn't help at all. It burns...

Huh? That's odd, it stopped hurting so suddenly... Oh well, I probably shouldn't worry about it...

The knights open a door and move out of the way. "In here," they tell me. Huh, it looks rather dark in here... Why does this guy like it so dark?! Geez, I'd almost think he was some kind of vampire or something with how dark it is!

I walk through the door. The room is really dark... there's a chair, and someone in it, but I can't see who...

The door closes with a loud _clank_.

"Welcome," the man in the chair greets. "I heard you were found in Princess Merilynn's room this morning... Just who are you?"

"My name is Chester Barklight. I'm a time traveler—I don't know how I get here exactly, but sometimes I teleport to this time, like I did this morning. Are you the king?!"

The man touches a screen. Wow, I didn't notice this before, but the things on the desk, the machines, the wires... this technology looks amazing! It may be even better than what we have in my time...! "Barklight, eh...? What kingdom are you from?"

"I'm not from this time period! Now are you the king?! Are you the one who's trapped Merilynn in her room and refuse to visit her while she's sick?! ...Answer me!"

"I'm not the king. Did you really think we'd let a complete stranger go straight to him?" the man asks, his eyes fixed on the screen.

"I'm the one who got rid of the Odin knights during their attack not too long ago!" It hasn't been a day in my time, but how long has it been in this era...?

"That strange archer the knights spoke of?"

"Yeah, that's me!" Keh, I don't like being called 'strange'...

"Hm... what did you see?"

"What do you mean?"

"Today. What did you see?"

Huh...? "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Hm... Very well, then."

There's a loud noise—something cold and metallic latches around me and quickly pulls me back, against the wall. Ow! These are metallic ropes, and they're holding me in place...! There's one around my neck, a few around my arms and body, and a few around each of my legs. I can't move... Dammit!

"This isn't a very nice way... to treat guests," I tell him. "Especially those that helped you...!"

"I want answers. Now, tell me, what did you see?"

"I already told you that I don't know what you're talking about! I didn't see anything that you should be worried about!"

"Then it must be too late..." He mutters to himself. Speaking up, he questions, "Are you a spy?"

"What?! No! I'm Merilynn's friend—you can ask her yourself!"

"What kingdom are you from?"

"Do you not listen?! I'm from the future!" I yell. The man hits a button on the computer in front of him—"Ahhh!" It hurts! Electricity...!

The shock suddenly stops. Ugh... I can't stop my body from shaking... "Let's try that again; where are you from?"

"Miguel, year 6548—Ahh!" Ow, not again! When it stops, I take a few deep breathes before speaking again; "Stop! I'm telling the truth!"

"You certainly are stubborn..."

Ow—now my shoulder hurts! It's not the same, but...

"Fine, it doesn't matter... but please, die a little quieter," the man says as he presses a few more buttons. No...! I'm not going to die!

More wires wrap around me, one wrapping around my mouth. They all suddenly get tighter—ow! I can't breathe—it feels like I'm being crushed! I yell out in pain—I can't, the wire! Ah, not the electricity! Ow...!

"...ester! Chester!" T-that voice... "Chester, wake up!" Dad?!

I take in a large breathe of fresh air—I'm in the forest, back with my friends...

"Chester, what happened?! Are you all right?!"

I nod and then push myself up. I still feel weak from that... my friends pulled me back just in time.

"Chester, you don't look so good—maybe you should rest," suggests Cless.

"I'm fine."

"Liar," accuses the witch. "Don't be so stubborn!"

"I'm fine!"

"You were hurt while there, weren't you?" my father speaks up. "Did you participate in another battle?"

"No!" How does he know...?!

"Then what happened? And don't lie, Chester—we saw some lightning and you acting like you couldn't breathe."

Ack! I guess I can't make that one up easily... "There's something going on in that castle... they wanted some information from me."

"What are you talking about?!" demands the steed. That's right, he was a knight of the castle during our time...

"I don't know exactly... The man kept asking me 'What did you see?' like he expected me to have found something, but I don't know what."

"Back up a little. Why did he think you know something?"

This is a waste of time... but they won't leave it. I explain the whole thing to them. Afterwards they pause, thinking about it.

"'Too late'? Too late for what...?" mutters Milard.

"Chester, you can't go back there," my father orders. "It's too dangerous."

"It's not like I can control when I go there... We don't know what initiates it or anything!"

"We have to find some way to stop it—they want to kill you!"

"Don't worry about it... I'll be fine. I'll just be more careful from now on."

"Don't be stupid!" Milard yells. "This whole thing isn't normal, and you keep getting hurt while there! We can't help you or anything—what do you think we're supposed to do?!"

"Keh... it doesn't matter if we can't control when it happens anyway," I point out as I stretch. "So what's for breakfast?"

"R-right! I've made some eggs..." Mint passes a plate to me, her eyes filled with worry. "Please be careful, Chester-san."

I take the plate and begin eating without another word. Geez, I wish they'd stop worrying so much! I hate it!

"I'll take the bandages off your arm if you want," Mint offers. "The rash should be gone by now."

"Oh yeah, I forgot about that!" I stare at my arm, which is still bandaged up. I let the princess unwrap the bandages. My arm looks perfectly fine now!

"Looks like it healed up nicely."

"Yeah... thanks."

"No problem."

As I eat, the others begin cleaning up the camp. I finish it as quickly as I can and then—oh yeah, pills... I get all of them down quickly and then join in helping everyone else. With everything packed up, Milard slings the large pack over her shoulders and everyone grabs their weapon. We start up again, heading towards Heimdall.

Just outside of the forest, we reach the base of some small cliffs. They're not that high... I put my hands on the rock wall and begin climbing up; the only two that don't have to climb are Dhaos and Arche, and the witch takes my sister and the pack up with her. Good...

"Whoaaa!"

"Klarth-san!" Cless managers to catch the falling summoner, who then clamps back onto the rocks, trying to regain his balance. He's not wearing his hat... where'd he put it? Oh well, I guess I'll find out when we reach the top... I continue climbing.

There's the top... I'm almost there! I push myself up and then put one arm over the top. I put my other arm over it and pull my body up, until I can get my legs over the top of the cliff. Once up, I stand. I seem to be the first one... Cless, Mint, and Milard are all at the top and trying to get their whole bodies up. Mint's having some difficulties, so I walk over to the dove and offer a hand; she takes it and I pull her up. Suzu makes it to the top next, and she pulls herself up with no difficulties. Now all that's left is Dad... Heh, he's trying to pull himself up, but I don't think rock climbing's quite his thing! I offer him a helping hand, which he takes—"Ow!" I draw away; that hurt...!

"What happened?!"

"I don't know; my hand just hurt all of a sudden..." As I talk, Cless takes over helping the summoner up.

"I didn't grab that hard," Dad says in his defense, now safely on top of the cliff.

"I know that!" Keh, I'm not a weakling!

Dad grabs his hat, which is on the pack, and puts it on his head. Milard takes the pack again.

"You sure do sound weak to me!" taunts Arche. She grabs my arm and squeezes—quite weakly, might I add. "Does this hurt?"

"Keh, a weakling like you couldn't hurt a fly—ow!" She found a pressure point!

"What was that?!"

"Okay, okay! Stop!"

"'Okay' what?" She presses harder.

"Arche, you're not supposed to use pressure points on your friends..." Dad speaks up. "Let him go."

"Aww, you're no fun..." the weasel complains, but she lets go anyway. I rub the sore spot. Geez...!

"...Chester." Dad walks over to me.

"What?"

"...Does this hurt?" He lightly grabs my arm. Ow! I wince.

"Yes. Yes it does."

He lets go, a worried look on his face. "But why does it hurt when I touch you...?" He has a good point... It didn't hurt at all when Arche touched me, or when I helped Mint up... "Does it hurt when anyone else touches you?"

"Huh?! I-I don't know! It doesn't hurt for Arche or Mint..."

"Cless."

"I'm on it." Cless grabs my arm next, and they watch me expectantly. I shake my head. Geez, I can't believe this...! They do the same for the rest of the group, but none of the others cause any pain... only Dad.

"...That's very strange..." my father mutters. "What's different about me...?"

"I don't know, but let's just keep going... we're not going to figure it out by sitting around."

"You're just annoyed by those experiments," accuses Milard.

"I am not! Let's just go!" I yell as I start walking; everyone laughs as they join me. Keh...

We walk across the green plains, and before long, we reach a dirt path. We follow it to the left... Hey, I see some houses off in the distance. Before reaching the houses, we find a fork in the path... We follow the path on the left, but only while it goes straight; we soon leave it and continue on, not following any path.

This is a lot of walking... I'm getting kinda tired, but we have to keep moving...

"Do we have to come back all this way...?" my sister complains.

"We'll ask Kratos where the closest port is, among other things."

"I can warp us back if it gets too late," offers Suzu.

"...I don't think you'll have to warp us that far. I have a brilliant plan," Dad says. "Well, I suppose it'll be pointless if we don't find Kratos... Origin won't give us any more leads on him."

"I guess you're not going to tell us what this 'brilliant plan' is, are you?" I question.

"Not until we get there."

"Do you even _have_ a plan...?"

"Of course I do."

"It's not some crazy thing, is it? You _are_ related to Sardon... maybe you plan for Mieu to fly us all the way there with those weird ears or whatever that she has!"

"No, that would hurt Mieu. Also, Mieu's a boy."

"What?! No way...! It sounds like a girl!"

"How do you know that Mieu's a boy, Klarth-san?" the swordsman asks curiously.

"He just told me."

"Wha?! ...Oh right, you can talk to the Summon Spirits..."

"You already forgot?" Dad questions me.

"It's been a while!" Wow... it really _has_ been a while since we first started on this adventure...

"So what's it like with all of the spirits in your head?" Arche questions as she and Mint hang back to walk (or float, in Arche's case) next to us.

"They get along quite well for the most part... Not nearly as hectic as it is outside of my head."

"Ah, sorry, Klarth-san!" the dove speaks up.

"It's not that hectic with the super-adorable Arche here!" brags the witch.

"You're the most hectic one of the group..." mutters my father.

"Hey! I am not!"

"Funny, you sure have a loud mouth for such a claim!" I tease her. Heh, now she's glaring at me. She's kinda cute when she's angry!

"Oh shaddup, you jerk!"

"Don't you ever use something different?"

"Shaddup! I'll come up with one you've never even thought of!" the idiot challenges.

"Oh? Like what?"

"Like... like..." She pauses, thinking.

"Wow, now _that's_ dangerous!"

"What is?"

"You thinking!" I joke—"Ow!" My head...

"Sensei!" the weasel yells as loud as she can.

"Hey now, don't drag me into this..."

"Give me a dictionary!"

"Do we even _have_ one with us?" Dad mutters. "It's not standard traveling gear... Ask Milard—she has the pack."

"Milard!"

"You look like an idiot, zooming around to everyone like that," I call out.

"A dictionary, right? I happened to pick one up at Sardon's house... Here you go!"

"Yay! Thank you!" Arche hugs it and turns to me, sticking her tongue out. Dork... She opens up the dictionary and begins scanning through it as we travel. Well, at least that'll keep her big mouth shut for a while!

"Wow, it's foggy up ahead!" I hear my sister exclaim from behind us, where she's walking with Suzu.

"That's Ymir Forest. Deep within it is Heimdall," the ninja explains.

"All right! We're almost there!" My sister runs ahead of the group.

"Slow down!" I call out, but before I can say anything else, she trips and falls flat on her face. "Klutz..."

"Ow..."

"Ami! Are you okay?" Dad hurries over to her and offers her a hand up.

"Yeah... I-I'm fine..." She takes Dad's help as she wipes a tear away from her eyes.

"It doesn't hurt for me to help you up, right?"

"Huh? Ah, no! It doesn't!"

"So it's only with Chester..."

"It's probably just a temporary thing," I tell them.

"...All right, then, we'll check again first thing in the morning tomorrow," the summoner decides.

"Wha?! No!"

"I thought it was only temporary."

"It probably is, but I don't want to feel that pain first thing in the morning if it's still there!"

Dad laughs and continues walking, Ami just in front of him.

"What about Arche-chan?" Mint questions. "It would be dangerous to leave her alone in another time period..."

"Right. If the elves won't let her in, then we'll split up, and some while stay with her while others enter!" Cless decides.

"All right. How does that sound, Arche-chan?" The princess turns to her friend, but the witch is too busy looking up a word. Geez, she's not reading the whole thing, is she?! She's crazy if she is...

"What, can't you find even one word to call me? Or are you really that dull that you can't find anything in a dictionary?" I tease her. She turns the page, not even noticing. "...Arche?"

"Huh?" She finally notices...

"Geez, you're concentration's as good as a Dark Mage!" That's a monster that's well-known for casting spells, right?

Dad stares at me, flabbergast. "Ch-Chester!"

"What?"

"You remembered something from my class!"

"Of course! I got my memory back, remember?!"

"Still, I didn't think you paid attention in there!"

"How do you think I passed the tests?!"

"I never quite knew. I worried about it every time."

"Hey!"

Arche giggles.

"What's so funny?! Weren't you looking for an insult?!"

"I stopped, remember?"

"I can see that... Never mind, let's just find Kratos." I lead the way towards Ymir Forest, the others following behind me.

"Chester, wait up!" Arche calls out as she hovers next to me. "Why the change of topic so suddenly?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Oh, are you going to finish it later?"

"Huh?!"

"When we meet tonight?"

What the heck is she talking about?! "You're crazy."

"I am not! And don't you dare back out on your promise!"

"_What_ promise?!"

She doesn't answer; she floats into Ymir forest, staring around curiously. "Wow, I guess there are no elves guarding the forest in this time!"

She's right... there are no elves anywhere around. I can hear noises, but those are monsters... I'm not sure how I know, but... Those are definitely monsters or forest creatures, not elves.

"Looks like we won't have to split up after all!" cheers my best friend.

"I wouldn't count on that yet. We still have to reach Heimdall," Milard points out. "Let's hurry."

We start walking across the wooden bridges of the marsh. The bridges are laid out differently from in our time... They're still just as narrow, though, and we're forced to go one at a time. Cless takes the lead, followed by Suzu, then Ami. I'm next with the magic casters all behind me.

There's someone walking this way...! "Arche, stay in the back—there's someone coming!"

Everyone prepares their weapons.

Kratos walks into view, a hand on his sword. "Let me pass."

"Sorry, but we're here to let you know that you have a date with Yuan," Dad tells the man. This is really Kratos... Lloyd's father! So then why doesn't Lloyd know about him...?!

**Chester gained the title of Super Sonic Hearing. What, you can't hear that? It's pretty loud to me!**

**Klarth gained the title of Poisonous Touch. It is a title given to someone whose touch hurts others.**

**Arche gained the title of Avaricious Reader. I don't care if it's a dictionary, I'll still be wound up in the words!**


	43. Nostalgic Man

**Okay, now it's going to be a little longer before I upload the next chapter... I'm in about the exact middle of writing it, and I've been kinda busy lately... But I'll try to get it done soon-ish! So sorry in advance for the wait! But I've been doing good at uploading 'til now for the most part, right...? Maybe?**

**Also, thank you, Draco! If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have spelled the title to this chapter right... thank you!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Tales of games. They're owned by Namco.**

**--****Nostalgic Man****--**

"Are you Renegades, then?" Kratos asks us, sounding doubtful.

"No, we're just simple travelers, helping out," answers my father.

"...You should stay out of business you know nothing about."

"I'm afraid we can't do that. We want some information from you and Yuan, and he refuses to tell us any more unless we take you to him."

"I have no intention of going with you. If you continue to block my path," Kratos says as he unsheathes his sword, "I'll have no choice but to fight you."

"Kratos, I'm sorry to have to fight you..." mutters Cless. He traveled with the rebels longer than I did, right? "But I won't hold back!"

The steed charges forward; his and our enemy's swords hit each other, locking up. The bridge is narrow, so while I try to aim, I can't be sure that I won't hit one of the people in my party... Suzu jumps over the two in front of her, spinning around to get Kratos on the other side; he holds up his shield just in time to block her daggers. He draws his sword away and sweeps at Cless—"Cless, duck!" I call out; the swordsman does so and I release the arrow—no! Kratos flew out of the way—so he's an angel in this time as well?! But I thought he and Lloyd weren't from Derris-Kharlan in this era...!

"Wind Blade!"

"Grave!"

"Thunder Blade!"

Whoa! Sharp rocks come up under us—"Ahh!"—Ami! I reach out, but miss; she falls into the water.

"AMI!" I can't see under there—I reach down, grabbing for her. No...! "Ami!"

"Ami!" The others join me. "Kratos fell in as well!"

Darn it all... I throw off my quiver and set my bow down beside me. "I'll get them."

"Chester wait—" Someone grabs my shoulder.

"Ow! _Dad_!"

"Sorry. Anyway, I'll get them out..." He begins concentrating, a green magic circle appearing under him.

"Klarth-san, you shouldn't summon...!"

"No one's around, right?" Dad mutters. "I, Klarth F. Lester, summon thee of the deepest seas... Come, Undine!"

The spirit jumps out of his ring like water, charging down into the marsh. Seconds later, the two rise out of the water, pushed up by a strong blast of water. I take my sister's hand and pull the wet girl over to me, into a hug. "Idiot! You could've died!"

"Onii-chan..."

"Are you all right, Ami?!" Cless demands from above me.

"Yeah..." She coughs. "I-I'm fine..."

"Liar," I accuse as I let go of her.

"Here..." The meerkat wraps a towel around Ami's shoulders. "Dry up before you catch a cold."

"Thanks!"

Kratos floats over to us. He's still up...! His wings disappear and he falls to his knees. "How do you... have Undine...?" The man collapses, unconscious. No...! He saw Dad summoning Undine! This is bad!

"Dad—"

"I know. We can cover having Undine—the important thing is that I don't have Origin, understood?"

"Right!"

"Let's take Kratos back to Yuan, then. Who should carry him?" Cless asks.

"Chester should, since he thinks he's such a man!" taunts the witch.

"I can't carry him _and_ use my bow!" I combat. "That's impossible for a human! And for your information, I _am_ a man!"

"We'll see about that tonight!" she says sweetly, with a wink. Everyone pauses, staring either at me or at the ground.

"W-what are you talking about?! You're insane!"

"Huh? What does she mean, Onii-chan?" my sister asks.

...What the heck should I tell her?! Darn that Arche, she's supposed to hate me! Not... not... Gah! This isn't right! "Don't listen to Arche—she's _obviously_ gone whacko! As for the rest of you, there's nothing going on here—it's all in her head!"

"Hey, I have not! Why are you being a jerk again?! You have the most flexible personality ever!"

"You're one to talk! You're mood swings so rapidly that not even a ninja could keep up!"

"Why you...! Suzu-chan, tell him that's not true!"

"...This is not my argument," the ninja answers, as emotionless as ever.

"Well it's not true! You're the wishy-washy one—I'm just trying to keep up!"

"I haven't changed my stance at all—on _anything_!" I notice Dhaos pick up Kratos and the others start walking away. "Ah...! H-hey, wait up—"

Arche stops me, moving so she's right in front of me on the bridge. "Liar! You keep changing on me—I don't know what to believe! Make up your mind and stick with it!"

"Stone it! The others are leaving us behind!"

"Eh?" She looks back and finally notices that the others are far ahead of us. "Ah! Wait for me!" She spins around and zooms towards them on her broom, catching up in no time. Keh, not fair... I walk a little faster, but... I don't feel like running. They wait for me off of the bridges.

"You didn't have to leave us behind..."

"At that rate, it would've been nightfall before you stopped," argues Milard. We're on a time limit, remember?"

"Keh..."

"Klarth-san, what's your idea?" questions the swordsman.

"Huh? Oh right! Come this way..." He leads us to the left. Wait a sec... are we going _around_ Ymir forest?! What good will that do us?!

There's the ocean... he leads us over to that. "Chester, release the ship here."

"Huh? Okay..." I open up the wing pack and let the ship jump onto the waves, though we're unable to get on it like this...

"Ah! I see now! You want Suzu-chan to warp us onto it from here, right?" Cless inquires. Ooh, I get it! This way she doesn't have to warp us as far! "That's a great plan!"

"Of course! That's why you have me on the team!"

"...Shadow Storm!" Leaves swirl around us, and next thing we know, we're standing on the ship.

"Thank you, Suzu-chan!"

Dad and Milard head off to the steering wheel. Let's see, what to do this time... I notice Cless walking towards the front of the ship, so I follow him. He stands against the rail at the front, staring out over the open sea. I stand next to him. "So how much longer do you think it'll be?"

"I don't know... We've been at this for quite some time, haven't we?"

"Yeah... do you think we'll travel to the past again?"

"We may have to if we want to talk to Martel when she was alive... but it's odd that she hasn't become a goddess yet, even though she's dead..."

"...Sometime during this, we should travel to Merilynn's time."

"Eh? What for?"

"She's sick, remember? I promised I'd bring Mint to take a look at her..."

Cless chuckles. "Yeah, that'd be a great thing to do! Let's suggest stopping by there next time we time travel!"

"All right!"

There's a beeping noise—the communication book!

"Milard, will you answer that for me?" Dad asks as he steers the ship. Cless and I hurry over as Milard opens up the book.

Sardon's standing there, his head bowed low and his hands up in a praying motion, only... above his head. He has bruises and scars everywhere, like he's just been in a battle...! "Please forgive me! I didn't know—I swear!"

"What happened?!" demands the meerkat.

"T-there were these people that showed up and wanted to know where you were! I thought they were trying to help you, but... they suddenly turned on me! I'm sorry!"

The gods?! "Who were they?!"

"I didn't get their names."

"What'd they look like?!"

"Well the girl had long, black hair and green eyes, and one of them was a reeeeeeally big man with curly red hair..."

"Fenrir, Odin, and Thor...! They know where we are!" This isn't good... this isn't good at all!

"Thank you for letting us know. You go tend to your wounds," orders Milard.

"O-okay... Be careful!" The connection closes. Sardon sounded really worried... I didn't know he could worry about anything!

"I'll let the others know." Milard stands up and hurries farther back on the ship, where the others are.

"Let's try to get the information we need from Yuan and Kratos and get out of here before they find us," Dad suggests.

"Yeah!"

Soon enough, everyone comes running up to the front of the ship. "Is it true?! The gods really followed us back to this time?!"

"Yeah. Everyone, be careful!"

An eerie laugh sounds throughout the area. There's a flash of blue light in front of us—no! They're here... all three of them are here, on our boat! Fenrir's in her human form this time... "We finally found you!" declares Thor. We all take out our weapons.

"Congratulations, you win an arrow in your throat!" I threaten as I notch an arrow on my bow and take aim.

I hear a small gasp come from Fenrir—hey wait, is she staring at me?! "You... you idiot!" she suddenly yells. "You should've just died!"

"Sorry, that doesn't seem very appealing to me!"

"Death is better than living a life of loneliness!"

"I guess it's a good thing I have friends, then!"

"But how long will they stick by your side? They'll all leave you once they know what you _really_ are!"

What is she talking about?!

"You're lying!" Cless yells. "Chester's our friend—we'd never leave him!"

"We'll see how long you stay with that stance..." mutters the wolf-goddess.

"So, you've teamed up with someone from Derris-Kharlan..." says Thor as he charges his hammer with more electricity. "Traitors..."

Water sprouts up from the ocean, wrapping around all of us—I cover my eyes as water splashes over me.

"What's going on?!" We're separated now—Arche, Milard, and I are in one area with Fenrir, but we can't see any of the others. I notch an arrow to my bow and take aim as the other two on my team begin concentrating on spells. I release the arrow, but she dodges it. Keh... I notch another one.

W-what the?! Fenrir's fast...! She's right in front of me in no time, and—ow! She stabbed me with her dagger...!

"You'll join me, won't you, Chester? You don't need a fragile body like this one when you come with me..."

"Go to hell!" I stab her with the arrow in my hands; she stumbles back. I take this moment to pull the dagger out of my stomach. Ow... why does she want to kill me so badly?!

"Power Seal!" Runes hit Fenrir; I'm not sure what they did, but hopefully they'll help us fight her!

"Debris Fall!" Large stones appear out of no where and begin falling on the goddess. Nice, Arche...!

The water gets even stronger; from somewhere else, I hear, "Come, Luna!"

Pillars of light explode around us, hitting our enemies. The water disappears, and we can see the three of them now. Curt's locked in close-combat battle with Suzu and Dhaos, and Odin's fighting Cless, with Mint and Dad behind him. Ami was locked away from the battle, but now that she can see, she rushes over to me.

"Onii-chan!"

"Ami, stay back!"

"No, I'm helping, too!"

"Klarth, summon Aska into my runes!" Milard calls.

"All right! ...I summon thee..."

At the same time, both yell, "Asel Seal: Light!"

Huh?! What's this?! My bow... it's shining in light now! Everyone's weapon is like that...!

"Ray!" Arche yells, and more light covers the field of battle.

"Ice Tornado!" Whoa, that's cold! Fenrir's ice swarms around us, hitting everyone.

Hey wait, I had an idea for a unison attack before! "Arche!" I call out. "Use a wind spell—I'll use Wild Rain!"

"Right!" She begins charging up, and I aim my arrow to the sky.

"Wild Storm!" we both yell out as I release; her wind catches all of my arrows, making them fly even more unpredictable before, but still effectively staying in the area—most hit one of the three gods.

Odin seems to realize something—but what? "Hey, Thor, Fenrir! We don't have time for this—we'll come back for them if they survive!"

"But—"

"Trust me, Thor," Odin says softly, catching the eye of his fellow god.

Thor turns away and curses; "Fine... But you better have a good reason, Odin!" After he's done talking, a blue light engulfs all of them. Within seconds, they're gone just as suddenly as they had come. Whew...

"Shadow Storm!" the sparrow suddenly yells, and leaves swirl around us; we land on top of one of the cold mountains that rises up from the ocean around Flanoir. Ah, that's our ship—it's hitting another mountain! And sinking...

"Thank you, Suzu-chan..." Cless mutters.

"Yes, you save us... we would've been in that crash if it wasn't for you!" agrees Mint. They're right... none of us had noticed the ship headed for the mountains! She even managed to get Kratos in that somehow; he's unconscious in front of us. But now we're stranded out here by Flanoir, with no way of sailing away... and Cless can't use the Eternal Sword...

"Hey!" someone calls out—ah, the Renegades! They're flying over to us on those weird machines of theirs! "We'll take you back to the base."

"Thank you!" All except Arche and Dhaos load up behind a Renegade on the machines—those two are flying on their own. They take us back to the base. Hey, there's a bright light above the base! I wonder what it's for... A part of the roof of the base opens up, and we land in a hanger. There we dismount from the machines, and the Renegades take charge of Kratos, carrying the unconscious man away.

"We're preparing dinner now. You'll have a chance to talk to Lord Yuan soon," one of the Renegades explains.

"Thank you."

"You may go ahead and sit down if you'd like. The dinning room is this way." Well, there's nothing else to do, so we follow him to the dinning room. The table's very long... do all of the Renegades eat here?! We fill in; Dad sits down close to one end of the table, Milard across from him. I sit between Dad and Cless, with Mint on Cless' other side and Ami across from him. Arche and Suzu surround Ami, the witch across from me, and Dhaos sits down on the sparrow's other side.

"Today passed by pretty quickly, huh?" I point out. "Where will we go after this?"

"I guess that depends on the information Yuan gives us... If we need to know any more, we may stick around until Kratos wakes up," Dad says as Renegades begin setting silverware out for all of us.

"We should also ask more about Mithos," Cless points out. "He's Martel's brother, after all!"

Mithos... where have I heard that name before... _"We want to see documents concerning the hero Mithos and the Kharlan War that are maintained by the royal family." "As for the Ancient Kharlan War, it's a war that happened roughly __four thousand__ years ago, in which the hero Mithos brought a truce between the warring kingdoms."_

That's right...! Could that be the same Mithos?! But... no, that one's from four thousand years ago... no creature could live that long! _"Martel's dead. She died four thousand years ago."_ ...Wait a sec... if Martel died four thousand years ago, and Mithos was her brother... then he'd _have_ to be four thousand years old! Wow... that's a _really_ long time to live...

Ah, I should tell everyone about that! "Hey, about Mithos... he was considered a hero from four thousand years ago."

"_What_?!"

"Where'd you get this information?!"

"Lloyd and the others said something about it... and about how Martel died four thousand years ago. They were stopping something called the Ancient Kharlan War."

"Interesting... now I _definitely_ want to talk to this Mithos..." mutters my father. "How on Aselia did he manage to stay alive for four thousand years...?"

"...Is it right to stay alive for that long...?" questions Mint.

"Regardless, it seems impossible... as a scientist, I _must_ know how he managed it!"

I sigh. "Should've known..."

One of the doors opens, and Yuan walks through. "I see you brought Kratos. I must thank you for that."

"We're just upholding our end of the bargain," Dad replies. "Though we haven't had a chance to talk to him yet..."

"You can talk to him when he wakes up." Yuan walks over to the table and takes a seat on the very end, between Dad and Milard. "I saw Luna earlier... Is Lloyd's group around?" As he talks, more Renegades come in, bringing food with them. They serve us first before some of them—the higher ranking, I guess—sit down in the remaining chairs.

Ack, he noticed...!

"We don't know where they are," Dad answers truthfully. "So, may we ask you our questions, then?"

"Go ahead."

"To start with, how was the world split in two?"

"The Eternal Sword."

"Eh?!" The Eternal Sword... has that much power?! And if that split the world in two... It's important to this time, right...? Which is why we have to hide it... I glance at my best friend. He's wields that power when he uses the sword... he has that much power at his finger tips, but... Heh, I know Cless... he would never do something bad with that power. We just have to watch out for Odin taking over his body... but while the Sword of Time is being hidden by Origin, he won't be able to use the Eternal Sword anyway!

"This food is good, Yuan-san," Mint complements him.

Oh, right, food! They served us steak... nice! I like these people! I cut a piece and start to eat it.

...Huh? Something doesn't smell right about it... I take a big sniff of air. It's _not_ right...! Is it... poison?! I set my fork down and glance around at my friends. No, they're all eating it! What the heck should I do?! I have to let them know before they eat too much more, but if I say something, then the Renegades will know that I know, and we're outnumbered here... ack, and our ship crashed! We have no way of escaping!

I kick Arche from under the table as she opens her mouth to take another bite. She stalls. "Ow! Chester!"

"Chester, what'd you do?" Dad asks.

"He kicked me!"

"Why did you do that...?"

"She was being stupid."

"I didn't even do anything!"

"Exactly." C'mon... catch on, Arche...

"Are you not hungry?" inquires Yuan.

"Huh?! No, I..." Ack, I forgot that it'll look odd if I'm not eating! "Sorry, I guess I'm not that hungry..."

"But all we've had today is breakfast," Milard points out. ...I hate it when my party's against me.

Okay, think... think quickly... I've got it! "I'm not feeling that well..."

"You haven't been eating much recently..." mutters my father as he puts his silverware down. "May we be excused?"

"Of course," answers our 'host'.

I grab the piece of meat on my fork and sneak it into my napkin. Dad and I stand up and begin walking out of the room. At least I got one of them out... As soon as the door closes, I quicken my pace.

"Chester?" Dad calls out as he speeds up to keep up with me. "Are you sure you're sick...? Maybe you should slow down some—"

"I'm not sick. The food's poisoned."

"What?!"

"We have to stop the others from eating somehow!"

"But how do you know...?"

"Smell it," I answer as I toss the napkin at him. I wait as he sniffs the piece of meat.

"...It smells normal to me."

"What?! Are you crazy?! There's _definitely_ something not-normal about it!"

"You could tell that from the smell...?"

"Yeah."

"...Then we need a plan. But all we have are my summons and your arrows..."

"But if you use any summons, then they'll find out...! They already saw Luna!"

"I know... I could use Mieu as a distraction, since he won't be made for another four thousand years. As long as they don't know... about him..." Dad beings swaying a little; he holds his head.

"Dad!"

"I'm fine... just a little sleepy is all..." He's having troubles keeping his eyes open...!

"If it takes effect this quickly, we'll have to stop them from eating _now_! Hurry up and summon Mieu!"

"R-right..."

"Don't bother," Yuan's voice speaks up from behind us. "They're already asleep."

No...! I spin around to find him with three Renegades behind him. I hear more footsteps... Oh no, we're surrounded! "Damn you...!"

"Interesting... So you're a summoner, Klarth?"

Urk! "N-no! He isn't!"

"You're not a very good liar. And you, Chester... how did you know about the drug?"

This is bad... this is very bad!

"This disease of yours interests me..."

"Keh, you can have it if you want!"

"I don't, but I want to know what it is... It's no doubt closely related to Angel Toxicosis, but it's not the same."

"What the heck is that?!"

"You know some about Chester's disease...?" my father asks with a yawn; he can barely stay awake!

"Only minimal. But what confuses me is that you don't seem to have a Cruxis Crystal... In fact, none of you even have exspheres."

"What are those?!"

"Surely you've seen them—most of the people you've run into have one or the other. They're stones that bring out a person's full potential... However, they can have a negative effect on the body." He pauses, considering this. "...Take them both for questioning," he orders his people, and they move closer to us. This isn't good... They point their guns at us and surround us, motioning for us to follow the leaders. Keh... I hate this! "Don't forget, we have all of your friends," Yuan reminds us before he turns and walks away. Keh, I know that... Dad and I follow the Renegades, who lead us to the jail. They usher me into one of the jail cells, stripping me of my bow and arrows. Now I don't have any weapons...!

...Huh? I still have the pocket knife that Dad gave me... That's great! I'll have to keep that hidden until time to use it!

"So, the Renegades turned against you... so much for being simple travelers," Kratos' voice echoes from the jail cell next to us. So he's awake now...

"Shut it! Besides, we can't trust you either—you're fighting your own son!"

"How do you know...?!" he demands coldly.

"Uhn... Chester..." Dad mutters, still fighting to keep his eyes open. The Renegades are still holding on to him, one of them pointing his gun at me.

"Answer us truthfully. Do you have Origin?"

"What?!" Kratos exclaims. "But Origin's sealed away...!"

"Hey! Answer us if you care about your son!"

"No, I don't... It's impossible to get Origin..." Whew, he's still able to hold his lie while half asleep... that's good.

"Come to think of it, you summoned Undine before..." Kratos speaks up again. "How exactly do you have Undine when Sheena has her?"

"These people are from the future," answers one of the Renegades. "So, what are all the summons you have?"

"Undine, Luna, and Mieu..."

"Any others?"

"Just one..." Hey, it's getting kinda windy in here...

"Which one?"

"Volt!" A green magic circle appears under him, and Volt appears, lightning exploding around him. Within seconds, the Renegades around are unconscious and my jail cell is destroyed; Dad collapses into sleep.

"Dad!" I hurry over to him. I can't nudge him, can I...? I can't try to wake him up without that burning! What should I do?! Oh no, and now I hear footsteps...!

"That was pretty careless," Yuan speaks up as he walks in, followed by more Renegades. They're carrying our friends...!

"Let them go!"

"They'll be our insurance in case we have to resort to plan B. Unfortunately, we only have enough room for them now... Take Klarth and Chester to the Sylvarant Base. Get Kratos ready for deployment," Yuan orders the Renegades.

"Yes, Sir!" A few of the half elves grab me and Dad, tying my arms behind my back, while the rest of them deal with the other people. This isn't good... I'm the only one awake... and they know about Dad being a summoner! They lead us to the hanger, where they have us each board a flying machine. With a Renegade on each of our machines, we take off into the air. We go straight up into the ball of light above the base—it's bright! W-what the?! A rift in space-time?! Where are we going?!

Whoa, talk about a climate change! We're suddenly in the desert, above a base that looks identical to the first. The roof opens up and we go straight down, landing in the hanger of the base. So then is this Sylvarant, the other half of the world...? The desert reminds me of Freyland... I wonder there's as much desert in this time as there is in our time...

Upon landing, the Renegades hope off, and then pull me and my father off. This place looks almost exactly like the other one on the inside! They take us out through the door and up blue stairs. We take the first left and go through the door at the end of the hallway. Whoa, there's a big, circular device in the center of the room... I wonder what that's for... Below that, the floor descends a little... that'd make for a great hiding spot! Anyway, they lead us to a right, through a door on that side. We follow the hallway in the next room all the way to the end, where there are three jail cells. They throw me in the first, pressing buttons to close it sharply behind me, and carry Dad on to the next one. I sit down on the bed. The keypad's in reach, but... Yep, thought so. They're leaving one guard to patrol. I'll have to get rid of him first...

Should I wait for Dad to wake up? I can't drag him out, so I guess I'll have to... I hate waiting. I can't even craft some arrows... keh. I'm not tired at all, but—

My stomach growls. I'm pretty hungry... Milard has the pack, too...

I lean back against the wall and make myself comfortable. What can I do while waiting...? Geez, this would be a perfect time to randomly travel to Merilynn's time... Why do I always go there at the worst times?! Speaking of, I forgot to ask her about her disease... I wonder if I'll be able to travel back there at all after what happened last time...

I wonder how the others are doing... have they woken up yet? Are they wondering where Dad and I are...? They have no idea about what's going on, or where we are... Plus they're on that little island with the Renegade base. Suzu might be able to warp them to Flanoir... I guess we'll check there for them if they're not at the base.

Everyone... my friends... It's been a while since we started this, and even longer since we first met... it's kinda weird to think about. I've known Cless for longer than I can remember... we grew up together, after all. I remember when I first met my little sister... I didn't understand why she always cried back then, but once she learned how to talk and walk... she was always kind and innocent. ...She's not the type that should be caught up in this type of journey...

I didn't meet any of the others until I started college... Even on the first day, I knew that Dad was going to be a strange teacher... maybe it was the way he dressed, or how he acted... I would never admit it to him, but both of his classes were my favorite, though I never liked history before then. I was surprised when I first saw Suzu in the class—she's so young! Arche and Mint were just some pretty classmates back then... And I never would've guessed that we'd all one day be traveling through time, working and fighting together... They were just school friends and group members, nothing more.

Dad knew. He didn't know we were the ones, but he knew he'd one day be traveling with the other Heroes of Space-Time... he was searching for us. Is that why he wanted to get to know all of his students?

No, I know him better than that... He really did want to know us for _us_. I'm glad he's part of the group and not some other teacher...

Then there's Arche... I didn't know how much of a _pain_ she was back then... Heh, first day of class, she was just a pretty girl who happened to be a half elf... I never really cared what race she was. There were three elves in the class, now that I think about it... and Arche was the only half elf. It took some time, but the whole class warmed up to her... I was the only one that argued with her. The rest of the crazy people loved her... I don't know why. She had many boyfriends in the class... Keh, I thought she was going to date the whole class at the rate she was going! Well, all except me, of course... Figures that I was stuck in a group with her...

...And stuck on this journey with her. But... even if she's annoying, I don't mind... I'd rather her be here than her run off again.

...I'm kinda worried about her... And all of the others, naturally. They're back in Tethe'alla... how can we get to them? We flew through that portal to get here... but we don't have any way of flying. In fact, we've lost all transport... Maybe we could use the Eternal Sword? But if someone sees us with it, it'd be trouble...

I hope Dad wakes up soon... I'm getting bored of waiting. The guard keeps pacing, not seeming to mind his dull task. How boring...

"Hey, Helmet Head," I call out to him. He turns a glare to me.

"I have a name!"

"Well I don't know it," I point out. "Anyway, isn't that boring?"

"I don't care."

"Let me guess: paid to do it?"

"...It's for a good cause."

"Oh yeah, trapping people trying to save the future is _really_ a good cause..." I mumble sarcastically.

"You say something, kid?!"

Why that...! "I'm not a kid! Besides, you can't be much older than I am!"

"I'm 87 years old!" he argues.

"Ah... half elf?"

"Yes."

"Gotcha."

He scowls at me, as if expecting me to hate him for being a half elf. Idiot... "One of the people in my group is a half elf, you know. She's being kept at your other base..."

"You're working with a half elf?! ...I don't believe you."

"You can ask Yuan. Her name is Arche Klaine."

"I heard a rumor that Lloyd Irving's group had two half elves as well..."

"They do. Raine and Genis Sage."

"How do you know so much about half elves?! What does a human like you care?!"

_"You who are able to love a half elf..."_ I guess the best answer would be... "What does race matter? We're all alive, right? I have friends who are half elves and friends who are full elves. I don't really care, as long as they're decent people." ...I guess this would be a bad time to mention that I actually hate Arche...

The guard stalls, not knowing what to say or think. Heh heh, I guess I did pretty good at confusing him!

I hear some movement in the jail cell next to me. Good, Dad's waking up... The guard notices as well and turns his attention away from me, and towards Dad.

"So, you're up," he says. "Don't you even think about summoning anything—I'll send a notice off to kill your friends!"

So they don't know how he summons... and that means he still has his pact rings!

"Where are they?" I hear my father question.

"They're back in Tethe'alla," I explain.

"Chester?!"

"Yeah, I'm here... They took the two of us to the other world, Sylvarant."

"Hm... so they separated us..." He's thinking; I can tell from his tone of voice. We need to get out of here somehow...

I have a knife still, but unless I hit the Renegade right, it won't do anything but have them bring more guards... and Dad can't summon because this old guy's keeping a keen eye on him...

...Unless I distract him. But how...?

"Well this is boring," Dad speaks up. "Why don't we play a little game?"

"A game?"

"Yeah, a word game. Chester, you know the rules better than I do..."

"I do?"

"You often play the game with Arche."

With Arche...? OH! Of course! "Oh right! Okay, so what you do is the person who goes first says a word, such as 'chicken'. Then the next person has to say a word starting with the last letter of that one, in this case, the 'n'. The big catch is that once a word is used, you can't use it again!"

"Hm... All right, I'll try," the guard says.

"I'll start," I offer. "Steak."

"Kite," says Dad.

"Elephant."

"Turkey."

"Yoke."

"Egg."

"Gel." Eh? Dad skipped me...

"Large," I say.

"Epilogue."

"Enigma," Dad says quietly. Huh? Is he... Ah! He wants me to take over and distract the guard! He's trying to drop out of the game! This way he'll be able to summon...!

"Armlet," I say.

"Toxic."

"Cat."

"Tonic."

"Coat." I'll see if I can keep him on 't's... Hurry up, Dad...

"Tail."

"Last."

"Tone."

"Eat."

"Ta... Tag!"

"Get."

"Ta..." He pauses, thinking. Heh, he's losing this one! "Ta... ta..." Oh come on, I can think of plenty! "Test!"

"Text."

He scowls. "It's no fair only ending in 't'!"

"Do you give up?" I taunt.

"No! Um... Tree!"

"Exit." Heh, he's not getting out of it!

"Toy!"

In the next jail cell over, I hear Dad mutter as softly as he can, "I, Klarth F. Lester, summon thee..."

The best summon for this would be... "Yam."

"Mieu!" Dad calls out, loud enough for the guard to here. Perfect timing!

"What kind of word is that?!" demands the guard, now paying attention to Dad again.

"You're about to find out."

I see the little blue creature running past the guard's, so that he's behind the guard. He jumps into the air, flapping with his 'ears', and calls out "Fire!" A little ball of fire hits the guard and he falls, unconscious on the ground.

"Thank you for distracting him," Dad says as I reach out of the bars and press the keypad. The bars of the jail cell rise up into the ceiling, and I walk out.

"No problem." Dad comes out of his as well, holding his hand out for Mieu to return to the pact ring.

"Where are our weapons?"

"No clue... but I have a knife."

"That little thing won't do us much good..."

A series of beeps suddenly sounds throughout the room, like—oh! That's the Communication Book! I grin; "You hear that, right?"

"Yeah. Let's find where it's coming from!"

We hurry past the cells, where there seems to be a control area in the room... In this area, we find a very large treasure chest, where the beeps are coming from. I try opening it. "Keh, it's locked..."

"You said you had a knife?"

"Yeah." I pull the knife out of my pockets and open it up. I stick the point into the keyhole, trying to pick the lock. C'mon, open up...

Something clicks. "Got it!" I put my knife up and swing the chest open, revealing our weapons. I thrust the book at Dad before I pull my quiver out, putting it over my head and on my back. I then grab my bow and turn to see what Sardon has to say.

"Are you guys okay?!" the researcher demands. "Did those people find you?"

"Yeah, but we're fine... except now we've been separated," Dad explains.

"That's good! Wait, no, it's bad, isn't it? But you're okay, so that's good, but..."

I can't help but laugh; he's so disoriented! "We're fine, okay? Have you found anything else out? I don't like having to take these pills every day!"

"Ah, not yet! W-we're looking!"

"It's somehow related to something called Angel Toxicosis... Try looking that up. Also, think you can get some information on Martel and Mithos Yggdrasil while you're at it?" questions the summoner.

"Right-o! I'll see what I can find!"

"Also, what time is it...?"

"It's 8:00!" Sardon announces proudly.

"Our time or yours?"

"Ah... mine. Um, I can find out what time it is where you are! Let's see, it should be listed... Ah! Here! It's um, 12:48! Whoa, what are you guys doing still up?!"

"Making a jail break," I answer.

"Exactly. We have to hurry—if we're caught her, it'll be trouble."

"Okay! Have fun breaking the jail!" Sardon says happily before disappearing. Erm, I don't think he quite got it...

Dad closes the book and turns to me. "Let's hurry—we'll want to find the others while it's still night."

"Right!"

"Are you okay with waiting for sleep?"

"I'm fine. I still feel wide awake!" I answer truthfully. "Don't worry, I won't be falling asleep 'til we're at least out of this mess!"

Dad nods and we head over to the door—oh no, it's opening on its own! Ack, Yuan?! He hurries through followed by a few Renegades, but as soon as he sees us, he stops and stares. I notch an arrow in my bow and aim it at him while Dad assumes a fighting stance.

"So, you were trying to escape... Listen, there's no time for fighting right now—if we stay here much longer, we'll _all_ die."

"Why?! What's going on?!"

"Yggdrasil is on his way," Yuan answers.

**Klarth gained the title of Dangerous Captive. You can't keep me locked up for long! ****As long as I have ****my**** summons...**

**Chester gained the title of ****Nostalgic Man. I remember the day we first met... It is a title given to one who reflects on the past.**

**Chester gained the title of Word Master. It is a title given to one who excels at word games.**


	44. Insomniac

**Okay, first of all! Sorry for taking so long to update! I... got distracted... by a fun program called RPG Maker... and programming... and job hunting... and school... Sorry! I'll try to write the next one faster!**

**Also, Glimmer Shot is Tsuiyousen from Tales of Destiny II... I think 'Glimmer ****Shot****' is the name of it on Radiant Mythology... please let me know if I'm wrong, and I'll change it!**

**And thank you, Xantos, for helping me with the titles!**

**And one more thing! I created a Halloween Special... but it has spoilers as to something that'll happen later... So after that happens, you'll get a very-belated Halloween Special! Sorry...**

**Um, anyway, please enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Tales of games. They are owned by Namco.**

**--****Insomniac****--**

"Yggdrasil is on his way to attack us," Yuan answers. "Your friends have already been evacuated, so I suggest you follow us if you want to see them."

"You're not holding us captive anymore?" questions the tiger.

"We don't have time for that! We have to get out of here _now_! Hurry up—everyone's gathering in the hanger. Grab a Rheaird and follow them out."

I guess there's nothing else we can do... we don't know where our friends are. Dad and I exchange nods and begin running to the hanger, where they dropped us off earlier. Here, Renegades are loading onto the flying machines, and Dad and I each grab one as well—I grab a blue and Dad gets a green one. There's a switch on the dashboard, which I click—the machine starts up. The roof's already open, so we lift off, straight up into the sky, following the Renegades.

"Chester, watch out!" Ack! There's a Rheaird falling towards me—I barely swerve out of the way before continuing my ascent. A few Rheairds and Renegades are falling around us... this isn't good! There's a large explosion outside and more fall—ah! There are angels outside—they're attacking us! I quickly veer to the right to dodge a blast. There are so many of them...! Where's Dad?! Ack, I can't even try looking—some of the angels are after me now! Keh, I can't fight back _and_ fly this thing!

"Chester! Klarth-san!" Wait, that sounds like...

"Cless?!" I spin my head around—they're all here! Our party's flying through the darkness, towards us on Rheairds... well, all except Arche, who's on her broom, and Dhaos, who has his wings. Mint and Cless are on one Rheaird, the princess driving; Ami's driving Suzu, and Milard's on her own, hovering between the angels and the two spell casters, who are charging up. The blonde pair fly towards one of the angels, turning just in time, and the swordsman cuts across with his sword.

"Chester!" Dad calls. "Let's do the same—hop on my Rheaird so you can shoot them!"

"Right!" It'd be a waste to just let this thing fall, though...

...Wait a second... I've got it!

I stand up on the Rheaird as I turn it... Dad floats over to me, trying to keep it a good distance for me to jump. That angel looks good... Okay, I'm ready...

"Hurry up!" Ack, the angels are shooting their magic at us now! I hit a button to make the Rheaird go faster as I leap—I made it—

"Whoa!"

"Chester!" Dad grabs my arm as I start to fall back.

"Ow!"

"Sorry, but it'd be worse if you fell."

Geez, it feels like my arm's on fire now... this hurts! I regain my balance. "Okay, let go." He does so, and begins concentrating on driving—

"Ack!" He suddenly flew up, and I almost fell. "Watch what you're doing!"

"We were about to get hit. Are you ready?"

"Yeah, once my arm stops being so numb..." I it feels weird, but... I'll have to make due. I stand up behind him and snatch my bow off my back. I grab an arrow as well and notch it, aiming at an angel. "Just don't do anything crazy..." I release—it hits! All right, time to join the others in battle! I load up another arrow.

As I shoot off arrows, I know Cless and Mint sticking to their strategy of getting close—usually below the angels—and then slashing. Suzu, on the other hand, isn't even staying on the Rheaird to fight—she's jumping around, using angels to jump off of, and only landing on the Rheaird when she needs to. Amazing...!

I pick my next target and take aim... and release!

"Thunder Blade!"

"Aqua Edge!"

...Why that little...! "Arche! That was my kill!"

"Heehee, that's 8-to-4!" she cheers. So she wants to make a game of this, eh...?

"I have 10 here!" Cless calls out.

"I'm at 13," the snake says coldly. Keh...!

"I'm at 19," the ninja tells us all.

"How?!"

"This _isn't_ a game..." mutters Milard, peeved.

The angels are in a line if... "Hey Dad, go right and up a little!" He does so... "There, perfect! Stay here!" I take aim, charging energy into this arrow. Time to pass Arche... "Piercing Line!" One, two, three, four, five... six angels! "Ha, I'm at 10!"

"14."

"26."

I'll never catch up with Suzu at this rate... I aim another arrow. Let's try another skill... "Eagle Shot!" Nice, that got two more down! I shoot another arrow... Okay, caught up to Dhaos!

"Fire Storm!" Arche clears out seven more angels. Keh...!

"Eruption!" Ack, so does Dhaos! And there's fire everywhere—isn't this already a desert?!

I fire off another arrow. Okay, time to show them what I'm made of! I start charging up the next arrow for Dragon Slayer!

...But what if I tried something else? I only know the skills I've been using, but... I can feel a new type of energy now, one that's different from what I've been using... What is it? I charge the strange new energy into my arrow, and it turns a light purple. Hm... Let's try a few more arrows. I grab three more from my quiver and notch them all on my bow. The arrows turn an even deeper purple, a ghastly energy around them... "Take this! Glimmer Shot!" I release the arrows and they circle around, making what looks to be a dark barrier that sweeps up a good number of enemies. "All right!"

"Great job!"

"Ha! That puts me at 23!" There aren't many left now! Cless, Suzu, and I easily take out three more. There's only one angel left! He's flying above all of us, staring down at us with cold, blue eyes. I aim my arrow up at him.

"Holy Lance," the angel suddenly says.

Ack! The power cuts off and we start falling—"Whoa!" I grab on to Dad's shoulder. The power comes back on and we start going forward quickly.

"What the heck was that for?!"

"He was using a spell on us." Eh? Really? I look up and back, where we were before, to see a light spell fading out.

"Okay, nice driving."

"Thanks." He pauses. "...Hey Chester?"

"What?"

"Doesn't your hand hurt?"

"Huh?" I glance down—Oh right! I grabbed his shoulder to keep my balance... Wait a second! "No... It doesn't!"

"Good... maybe that little phase is gone, whatever it was."

"Let's hope. Anyway, time to get back at that angel!"

"Right!" We spin back around to face him and I notch my bow again. Wow, this guy's good...! He's dodging both Cless _and_ Suzu! When they do hit him, he acts like their attacks are nothing! I release the arrow—he easily blows it away.

"Pull back!" Yuan yells from below us. "That's Yggdrasil, the leader of the angels!"

"_What_?!"

"Isn't this the guy we wanted to talk to?!" I hiss to Dad.

"Unfortunately... I don't think we'll be getting that talk in."

I aim yet another arrow as Mithos Yggdrasil begins charging up a spell. I release once I see an opening between the fighters. None of our attacks even faze the guy! He is somehow able to charge up a spell while we attack him!

"Indignation."

Electricity explodes all around us as the drivers attempt to dodge—ack, that was too close!

"Yuan-san!" Mint calls out. I look back to see him falling—he got hit by the lightning! Wings appear on his back; he flies towards us, following us out. The remaining Renegades also fill in around us. Where the heck are we supposed to go to escape from this guy?! He can fly, too!

"Cless, I think it's time we leave this time period!" Dad calls out.

"But what about Yuan-san and the Renegades?! We can't just leave them like this!"

"This isn't our battle, remember? Besides, they were the ones that took us captive!"

"We had our reasons," mutters Yuan, who's now riding on a Rheaird behind one of his fellow Renegades.

"...I'm not leaving them like this!" Cless declares. "Mint, turn back—we're going to distract Mithos long enough for the Renegades to get away!"

"Idiot!" I yell; I can't believe him! "We shouldn't mess with this time period!"

"Yeah! Remember what Origin said?!"

"_Arche_!"

"Uh... oops!"

"So you _do_ have Origin!" Yuan declares. Lightning explodes all around us again, hitting two Renegades.

"Never mind that! Let's just do something about Mithos!"

"Right! Chester, take over for me," Dad orders as he climbs behind me, using the wings for support. I grab the handles as I scoot forward—I notice the fighters drop back, charging towards Mithos. Those idiots...! Keh, I guess we'll help them... I turn around as well.

"I summon thee of the darkest abyss... Come, Shadow!" From the summoner's amethyst ring, a blob of darkness emerges, moving towards Mithos. However, it stops short, raising itself up like a balloon before the angel.

"Shadow!" Mithos exclaims, surprised.

"Long... time..." Shadow speaks in a slow, raspy voice. Huh?! The summon spirits... know him?!

Mithos glares at the blob. "Yes, it _has_ been a while... since all of you left me."

"You... had... pact..." Wha?!

"Hey, what's going on here?!" I mumble to Dad.

"I don't know... Shadow, you had a pact with Mithos?"

Mithos turns his glare to my father. "Don't you _dare_ call me by that name! Only certain people may call me by it... And how do you have the summon spirits?!"

Shadow suddenly lunges forward, and the area around Mithos goes black—I hear the attacks, and then the darkness returns to Dad's pact ring. Dad immediately begins another summon. "Cless, the Renegades are far enough now—I'm going to hand you the Eternal Sword!"

"Right!"

Mithos' surprise greatens at the mention of the Eternal Sword. "Just who _are_ you people?!"

"Merciless Thunder!" Suzu calls out as she throws a lightning dagger at the angel—it doesn't seem to hurt him at all.

"Tempest!"

"Meteor Storm!"

Wind and meteors slam down on our enemy, who I see still glaring us down. Geez, does _anything_ phase this guy?!

"I summon thee, ruler of all... Come, Origin!" On the summoner's command, Origin appears, summoning the Eternal Sword above Cless—the swordsman takes it.

"Where to, Klarth-san?!"

"4000 years ago, make up a place!"

"Right! O Sword of Time, take us to 4000 years ago, here!"

"Four thousand?! No—" Mithos tries to yell out, but a blue light engulfs our group—Mithos disappears, and we're staring at a dark night over a desert. The Renegade base is gone...

"Well?" Dad turns his attention to Origin. "Should we hide the Eternal Sword here?"

"Probably, to be safe," the spirit answers. Cless holds up the Eternal Sword, and it disappears—Origin begins disappearing as well.

"Hold on, Origin," Dad says, stopping the spirit. "What did Shadow mean? Did all of you once have a pact with Mithos?"

Origin glares at him, ice-cold. "That is none of your business." He disappears.

"Keh, you can't get anything outta that guy!" I mutter.

"There's a city ahead—should we land and rest there?" Mint questions.

"Yeah."

The other drivers and I slowly steer down, until the Rheairds land on the desert sand. We hop off of them, and I store them all in the wing pack.

Milard storms over to Dad and—ah! She slapped him?! But why?!

"You idiot!"

"W-what was that for?!"

"They saw you summon!"

"I was trying to save all of you!"

"The next time you try to save us, think a little more about the situation at hand!"

"We got out all right! What are you so angry about?"

"Idiot! We were captured, and now they know that we have Origin _and_ the Eternal Sword—we can't go back to that time now!"

"We could... we'd just have to have a plan," argues Dad.

Milard's fuming—Dad realizes this and backs up. "O-or not... W-we shouldn't need to go back to that time, right?"

"I can't believe you're so careless!" she yells as she advances on her childhood friend.

"C-calm down, Milard... Ah! Chester, you must be tired by now... let's go find an inn!" Dad hurries on, ahead of the rest of us. Heh, I'm not sure if he's learning how to be a father or if he's just using it as an excuse to get away from Milard's fury!

Anyway, we walk silently to the small town buried in the mountains. The inn's very close to the entrance—it's just to the right, before the area of the city that goes under the desert sand. We walk in, and wait as Dad and Milard buy us rooms.

My stomach growls loudly. That's embarrassing... Everyone hears it, too, and turns to me.

"Oh right, you didn't eat dinner, did you?" Cless questions.

"If you're not too tired, we can get you something to eat now," offers my father.

"All right, I think I'll take you up on that offer. Besides, I'm not tired at all yet!" I don't know why, but since we time traveled this last time, I've felt somehow... refreshed... I don't know why, though.

Well, we have our room keys, so we can come back at any time... We walk back out into the town and start searching for an open restaurant.

I glance up at the night sky—the stars look nice... these would be from ten thousand years before my time, right? And there are the moons...

...Wait a second! "Everyone, look!" I point up; they follow my finger towards the night sky. "Both moons are here!"

"This must be before the worlds were split in half..." concludes Dad.

"It was the Eternal Sword that split the worlds, right?" questions the Eternal Swordsman. "I didn't know it had that much power...! But who wielded it at this time?"

"That's the least of our worries," the meerkat says. "We need to find Martel first..."

"The gods don't know where we are again... As long as we keep switching eras like this, we'll be able to stay away from them!" Arche cheerfully points out.

"Yeah, unless Sardon gives our position away again..." Keh, I can't believe him...

"Sardon-san didn't know," argues Mint in his defense.

There are few shops outside, but none of them are open. There's also a large door on the ground, but it's closed... Oh well. Still, I don't see any lights on... I wonder what time it is... "I don't think anything's open..."

"Yes, I'd imagine that at this time they don't have 24-hour stores..." agrees the tiger.

"Then again, the last time we were in had elevators..." mutters Milard. She's right...

"Still, there's no restaurants... Maybe we should make some food for Onii-chan?"

"Naw, I'll just have some apple gels... I've gotten by on that before. Just give me a good breakfast in the morning!"

"All right. Let's head back to the inn, then," Dad says, and we walk back into the only open building. Inside, we separate: we boys enter one room, and the girls enter the other. I set my weapons down beside one of the beds, which I sit on. I begin chewing on an apple gel.

"Ick! When'd these things get so sour?!" I demand. "Are they old?"

"They shouldn't be..." Dad tries one. "They taste perfectly fine to me."

"Really...?" I continue eating them. Ick... they really don't taste that good... oh well, it's food. Once I eat as many as I can handle, I lay down. I'm still pretty hungry... I'll just have a big breakfast...

I close my eyes and slip into sleep...

"Chester... Where'd you go, Chester?"

"Fenrir?! Keh, it's none of your business!"

"You'll tell me, won't you?"

"Why the heck should I?!"

"Because I'm..."

Ice-cold arms grab me. Ugh... I feel sick... what's happening...? I can't see anything...

"I'm the only one who can save you from yourself..."

"What are you... talking about?"

"Chester, you're..."

"Chester, wake up!"

"Ow!" It burns—I swipe Dad's hand away and then grab my shoulder.

"It still hurts?" the summoner questions. Where am I...? Oh right, the inn... "I thought that was over..."

"Well it hurt..." I mutter as I sit up. "I don't know why, either."

"Maybe we should talk to Cathy about this..."

"It's fine. Besides, I doubt she'd know what the cause of it was!" I point out.

Dad sighs. "I suppose you're right... This troubles me, though. There _has_ to be a logical explanation, but... I can't think of anything!"

"Yeah, and if you can't think of something, we're _all_ doomed," I joke. "C'mon, let's get breakfast..." I stand up and grab my weapons. We exit the building with all of our stuff, out into the open air where the others are waiting. The door leading below ground is open today, but there's a guard standing by it... we approach him.

"May I see your city ID or pass?"

"Huh? We don't have either of those..." mutters my father. "All we want is a small bite to eat..."

"If you don't have a pass, you may not enter." Keh, this reminds me of Derris-Kharlan...

"Here," Suzu says as she holds up a small card. When did she...?! The guard studies it while we all wait patiently.

He nods. "Very well. Go on."

We silently walk down the stairs, into the underground area. It's dark down here, but there's enough lighting to tell where we're going. "Suzu, when did you get the pass...?"

"Just a few minutes ago. There was someone secretly selling them by the entrance."

"Did you—?!"

"I left him as much money as I thought necessary," the ninja answers emotionlessly. "Let's find a restaurant."

The halls are made of a dark red material... I'm not sure what it is. There are portals with shop names all around the walls, though... this place is so different from what I know! "Why don't we have this technology in _our_ time?" I mutter.

"This is bad... we shouldn't be using this," mutters the half elf. Huh?!

"I agree..." Dad walks over to a wall and touches it, observing. "Yep, no doubt about it... this is magitechnology."

"Eh?!"

"Magitech is bad, right...?" Cless asks.

"Yes. It draws unnecessary amounts of mana from the world... _too_ much. It's probably what's put both Aselia and Derris-Kharlan in the states they're in."

"Magitech is the worst possible invention," agrees Dhaos. "No one should even be allowed to make it... and those who make it should be punished for their crimes!" His eyes narrow; he's really angry about this...!

"I'm sure it's because they don't realize how much it hurts the world," my sister speaks up. "They probably think they're helping... should they really be punished for that?"

"It comes down to whether they're ignorant or ignoring it," agrees Milard. "The former should not be punished too severely, but instead taught the errors in their ways so that they can change it."

"Keh... this is too much magitech for ignorance!" argues the angel. "I want to talk to the person who made these!"

"Dhaos, I understand how you feel, but we cannot meddle in this time," Dad points out.

"You understand...? Don't make me laugh... How could someone like you _ever_ understand?" Dhaos demands. "I'm going to talk to the person who created all of this, whether you like it or not!" He begins storming off, and Dad hurries to catch up to him.

"Hold on, Dhaos. Let's at least get something to eat first; if there's a confrontation—and I should hope there won't be—we'll need energy."

The angel stops, a scowl on his face. "Fine..." He really hates magitech, huh...? And magitech hurts the world... so I guess it's good that he hates it, right? Either way... I still hate him!

"Here," Cless suddenly says as he walks over to one of the portals. "This looks to be a restaurant!" He walks onto the portal, and the rest of us hurry after him. Is this warp portal made of magitech?

Within seconds, we're in a medium-sized restaurant. The hostess greets us; "Hello, how many will it be?"

"Nine."

"All right..." She stares at something as she thinks, trying to figure out where to put us. I once worked as a waiter, didn't I? Heh, I guess my memory's still a little slow to come back to me... Oh right, I remember now! She'd be looking at the rotation chart, which tells her which servers are at which sections and who she last sat... unless they use a different method in this time, anyway. "Let me check something real quick," she says, and with our nod, she hurries off, towards the back. We stand there, a pretty large crowd, just waiting in silence for her to return. When she does, she leads us to a large table, made for ten. We file in, leaving one side open. Somehow I end up sitting between Cless and Arche... Well, at least I'm sitting next to one sane person...

I take a menu and begin browsing through it. Let's see, what should I have for breakfast...?

The server comes over to us and takes our drink orders. I just order water... I don't need anything too fancy.

Wow... they have a big selection of breakfast foods. Most don't seem that appetizing, though...

The server returns and passes out drinks. He then goes around the table, taking orders. Yeah, I think I've decided... I order a cheesy chicken omelet. The orders go smoothly... 'til we get to Arche, who's not paying attention. Geez, how many times has she done this recently?!

"Arche-chan," her best friend calls out. "What do you want to eat?"

"Huh?" She snaps back to the real world. "Um..." ...And she turns back to the menu. And we wait...

"C'mon, it's not _that_ hard to decide what to eat," I tell her.

"I think we need a little more time," I hear Milard tell the waiter, and he nods and retreats. "Tell us when you're ready, Arche-chan."

"Mm." She's not paying attention... Geez, I'm hungry...

We wait in silence... "Arche-chan, do you need help deciding between something?" Mint offers.

"Huh? Ah, right, breakfast!"

"She's hopeless..." I mutter.

"Um, what should I have... Ah! How about pancakes?"

"All right, we'll order that when the server returns," Milard says kindly. Keh, Arche took too long at that...!

Something touches my hand—huh? W-wait, that's... Arche's hand...! I turn to her. "Arche, what are you..."

She lays her head on my shoulder. Wha?! "Hey, Arche!" I bolt up—my chair falls, and Arche looks dumbfounded.

"What's wrong, Chester?"

"What do you mean 'what's wrong'?! What the heck are you... what's _wrong_ with you?!"

"Chester, calm down. There's nothing wrong with a girl expressing her feelings; it tends to be a good thing," Dad says. "Just think of all the possibilities—ow!" Milard hit him for that. "Now wait a minute... I didn't mean like _that_!"

"Yes you did."

"Like what?" questions my sister.

"Never mind!"

"Chester, are you all right?" questions the steed.

"I'm fine!"

"Your face is red..."

"Are you getting sick, Chester-san?"

"No! I just..." I glare at Arche. "What the heck are you trying to pull?!"

"What's that supposed to mean?! You were fine with it before!" she argues.

"Fine with _what_?!"

"You jerk!"

"You're the one going crazy on me!"

"I am not! You are!"

"No, you are!"

"You are!"

"You are!"

"Chester, Arche, please stop fighting..." Cless speaks up. "And Chester, sit down..."

"I'm not sitting next to her!"

"What?!"

My best friend scoots down one, to the seat I previously occupied. "Now will you sit down?" he asks.

"Yeah..." I sit. I feel really hot for some reason... hot and nervous... Keh, why does this happen sometimes?! I hate it...! I have no reason to be nervous...! Or... or _anything_ like that! It can't be because I was mad—we usually argue a lot! And why's it so damn hot in here?!

The server returns and takes Arche's order. He then takes our menus and leaves... We begin talking about what to do next...

"Should we try finding Martel in this time? She definitely hasn't become a goddess yet..."

"But she will die soon," Suzu points out.

"Right... It's not good, but it's definitely the truth," Dad inputs. "I would think that there's something special about her death... or about the people around her. We know that her brother is still alive four thousand years later..."

"And we know that she's a half elf!" Arche adds, which causes some heads to turn to us, faces filled with disgust.

I glare at them. Don't they have anything better to do?! "What's your problem?!"

They turn away, as if it's nothing, but I can hear them muttering amongst themselves...

"A half elf... do they mean someone in their group?"

"I hope a half elf doesn't come here..."

"Half elves can't get passes into Triet!"

Keh...! Those stupid—!

"Chester-san, please calm down..." Mint speaks up.

"But—" They probably can't hear the whispering.

"It's fine," the half elf of our group says. "I'm used to it!"

Keh, she's the biggest idiot of all... She shouldn't act so cheery when she's being discriminated against!

"Arche-chan..."

"Anyway, we still need to figure out where to go next, right? Let's figure it out so we don't waste all day!"

"Right, well..."

"We don't know where she would be," says Milard.

"You know what?" I hear someone whisper to his friend. "I heard that the dwarves were taking in half elves..."

"No way...! Are they crazy?!"

The dwarves, huh...? Thanks for the tip, moron! "Hey, did you guys hear that?" I ask my group quietly.

"No... what?"

"Well, first of all, there are many dwarves in this time... and they're taking in half elves."

"Really..." Dad considers this. "Did they say were we can find the dwarves?"

"No..."

"Um, well..." the princess says. "Part of the reason Morlia Mineshaft was so important for castle archeologists and researchers was because below it were the Dwarven Ruins."

"O-oh, really?"

"Yeah, and _Arche_ destroyed that!" I tease.

"Hey! I didn't mean for that to happen—it was an old cave!"

The server brings our food out. Finally...! I take my silverware and start digging in. Hey, this is really good!

We continue eating in silence... I don't really care—I've been really hungry, so it's great to finally get to eat!

I soon finish... I still feel kinda hungry, though...

"So, shall we head to Morlia, then?" questions my father as most of us finish our food.

"Yeah."

"Dhaos, how are you feeling?"

"...Fine," mutters the snake. "I won't change what happened in this time... but I refuse to use any magitechnology unless it's a necessity."

"That works for me."

"Heh, so even _you_ get worked up every now and then!" I joke.

"Yeah, you seem so quiet and serious all of the time that it really surprised me!" agrees my best friend.

Dhaos just glares at us. Heh heh...

The server returns with the check, which we pay; we all use the same money on this journey anyway... After that, we head out of this town—Triet, right? Near the guard, Milard pulls out the map of Aselia—of our time. I wonder if the map is different from this time...

"Excuse me," Milard says to the guard. "Could you tell us where we are?" She shows him the map. The guard pauses a minute, examining the map.

"...Where'd you get this map?"

"Um, well..."

"It's close enough, but it looks a little odd... Anyway, we're right... here." He points—ahh, so we're near what's Olive in our time... I guess that'd explain the desert. And we need to head to Morlia... We walk out of the town.

"How many Rheairds do we have?" questions Cless.

"Oh that's right, we can fly now!" Heh, I forgot about that!

"Chester and I got only one."

"We got three... so we have four Rheairds and nine people."

"I guess we're doubling up, then," Dad says. "It'd probably be best if I'm _not_ on the same Rheaird as Chester."

"Yeah... I'd rather not have a burning arm when I'm hanging on for my life," I mutter dryly, which makes the others laugh.

"Speaking about that..." Dad informs the others about that time it didn't hurt me. I wonder why that was... Curses usually wear off, right? If this is part of the curse, I hope it wears off soon! It sure is a pain... in more ways than one!

"That _is_ strange... I hope we figure out what's going on with Chester soon," Cless says.

"Anyway, how are we doubling up?" I question.

"I'm riding on my broom!" Arche cheers.

"I think we already knew that," I mutter sarcastically.

"Oh shaddup!"

"I'm not doubling up with anyone," Dhaos says coldly. "I'd rather fly on my own than ride on one of those with someone."

"Then one of us will ride alone," Suzu points out.

"Mint, shall we double up again?" asks Cless.

"Okay!"

"Would you like to join me on a Rheaird, Suzu-chan?" offers the meerkat. I think she's still a little miffed at Dad...

"...All right."

"Onii-chan, can I ride with you?"

"Of course! But I'm driving—you're too young!" I tease her.

"Hey, I drove last night!"

"Yeah, yeah... all you had to do was sit there and let Suzu jump around!"

"No I didn't! I had to dodge stuff, too!"

I grin; "Oh? Then what'd you do, move down two feet once?"

"No! I did good driving!"

"Uh-huh. I'm still driving!"

"You're mean, Onii-chan!"

I can't help but laugh now as I open the wing pack. "Whatever!" We pile on to the Rheairds—there's a blue, a red, a green, and a purple. On the Rheairds we lift up, with me, Mint, Milard, and Dad driving. Heh heh, traveling will be a _lot_ faster now!

**Suzu gained the title of Angel Annihilator. It is a title given to one who killed the most of the angels attacking them.**

**Klarth gained the title ****of Careless Summoner. Even if they saw me summon, it'll be all right... right?**

**Chester gained the title of Insomniac. He can stay up quite a while without getting tired!**

**Suzu gained the title of Honorable Pickpocket. Even if she steals, she'll leave as much money as she believes necessary!**

**Dhaos gained the title of Magitech Hater. I refuse to use any magitechnology—I hate it all!**

**Chester learned Glimmer Shot.**


	45. Hypocritical Hero

**Thank you, Xantos, for the suggestion of Chester's title (and the title of the chapter)!**

**Also, have fun with the dwarves! This chapter was a lot of fun to write, though the end of it was quite hard... I don't really know how to play, um... well, you'll see! I tried my best, so sorry if it's not that good!**

**And, just a few more chapters left for Chester's disease! I'm not sure exactly how many... but it's really close! So throw in some guesses if you want!**

**Please enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Tales of games. They are owned by Namco.**

**--****Hypocritical Hero****--**

We fly across the desert—within no time, we make it to the ocean, and then turn to go straight to the Morlia Mineshaft. We land just outside of it and store the Rheairds in the wing pack. We then walk in...

Huh, this place looks different... There's definitely been some mining going on, and the area we've come in at isn't so... open. There's a cliff to our right, which goes down to another area... "This is Morlia, right?" I mutter.

"Remember, we're ten thousand years in the past... no doubt it's changed by our time," says my father.

"...Point taken."

"Dwarf," the ninja speaks up as she points—ah! There's a dwarf working over there! Wow, this is my first time seeing a dwarf! They really _are_ short...! And have beards! And are stubby! I thought some of those were just myths!

We walk over to him. I wonder how female dwarves look... you never hear about those in books and movies!

"Excuse us... We're travelers, and we're looking for your village," Dad says.

The dwarf barely looks at us. "Refugees?"

"Not exactly... we're looking for someone."

"A dwarf?"

"No, a half elf."

Now he looks up at us. "'Ere are some 'alf elves down there... Wha' do ya want 'em for?"

"Calm down, we mean no harm," Milard quickly speaks up; the dwarf _does_ seem a little nervous about that... "As you can see, we have a half elf with us... She's our friend."

Arche grins wildly and puts her hands behind her head. "Yep! We've come to visit some of my fellow kinsmen!"

"Ah, all 'ight." He points behind him, to a door... "We're in the town of Morlia... Go through tha' door and 'ead down a 'ew le'els." Wow, he has a huge accent...! Do all dwarves have an accent?

"Thank you," the meerkat says before leading the way.

"One more thin'," the dwarf calls out, and we stop to listen. "Don' make any pit stops 'long the way."

"Okay...?" I wonder why... Oh well. We enter the door.

Ahh, this looks more like the Morlia Mineshaft... "He said that Morlia was the name of their town, right?"

"That's probably where we adopted the name from," Dad says as we walk. We head straight for the stairs and begin walking down. I wonder where the dwarves live...

The communication book suddenly begins beeping—we stop and gather around the summoner as he opens it up.

"Hey-ho!" Sardon greets.

"Hey."

"Hiya!"

"Hello."

"Guess what I found!"

"Any news on Martel or Mithos?" Dad asks.

"Well, no..."

"What about Angel Toxicosis?"

"Not that either..."

"Arche's curse?"

"Yep! Bingo!" cheers the researcher. "Look look!" He holds up some papers, though it's hard to read them due to the size of the screen... "The only other people to get it have also been in direct contact with those records she was reading... naturally, all of them were elves, but it's been a _long_ time since they last looked at them!"

"And?"

"And... and... Hey wow, it really _has_ been a long time...!" he mutters to himself as he stares at the papers.

"Sardon!"

"Oh, right! ...What was I talking about again?"

"Arche's curse."

"Right! So, only elves have gotten it..."

"You've been over that already!" I bark. Geez, this guy can't keep straight on _anything_!

"O-oh! What haven't I been over, then?" Sardon asks seriously. This is a pain...

"How the heck are we supposed to know?!"

Milard puts a hand on my shoulder to stop me from yelling any more. "How about what her curse is?" she asks Sardon.

"Oh! Well, we don't know that yet, but according to the records, everyone who's had this curse has gone crazy!" he informs us.

"Well that's a relief!" I say. "After all, she's _already_ crazy—ow!" Did she _have_ to hit me with her broom?! Didn't I make that broom for her?!

"Moron!" she yells.

"Ditz!"

"Idiot!"

"Stupid!"

"All right you two, that's enough," Dad calls out. "Is there anything else, Sardon?"

"Hm... nope!" he answers. "So where are you guys now?"

"We went back another four thousand years, and we're about to go visit the dwarves," explains Cless.

"Wow, dwarves?! They really exist?!"

"Yeah! We saw one on our way in!"

"That's so cool! I wanna see one!"

"We'll show you if we can, Sardon-san!" Mint promises.

"Yaaaay! I'll be waiting!" With that, the connection closes and Sardon's face disappears. Dad closes the book.

"Shall we continue on, then?"

"Yeah." We start walking down the steps again.

He said down a few levels, right? We haven't seen anywhere to turn off of this path yet... Ah, here's a place—is this it? We take a left instead of going further down the stairs, through an opening in the cave wall.

We wander around in this area, looking for houses, life... anything. I wonder what their town looks like...?

I hear something moving—I spin around—what the?! There's a golem coming out of the wall...! "Behind us!" I quickly grab my bow and notch it, taking aim at the rock creature's head. I release—it hits, slowing the golem down long enough for Cless, Suzu, and Ami to charge in. I aim another arrow and release again.

The golem pounds his fist into the ground, right on top of—"Cless!" The stones hit the other fighters as well.

Why that...! "Eagle Shot!" I jump into the air, releasing wind arrows at the golem; he stalls.

"Use this! Cure!" The mana from Mint's spell flows through the rocks that our friend's under. No... he better be okay!

"Ami! Use Dual Punishment!" Suzu calls out.

"Right!"

"Spinning Punishment!" As my sister spins around in circles next to the creature, her hammer out, Suzu comes from above it with Crow Blade. The creature's dizzy from the attack—I hit it with another arrow.

The rocks next to its feet move, and Cless stabs his way out, slashing at the golem's legs. All right...!

"Come, Luna!"

"Tempest!"

"Lightning!"

The spells obliterate the monster, turning it back into the rubble it's made of. Heh...

"That was amazing!" Ami compliments excitedly.

"It's over. Let's go," the angel says coldly.

"O-oh, right..."

"I'm beginning to think that the dwarves aren't on this level..." mutters my father.

"Oh? And what gave you that idea? Maybe the large golem that's about ten times the size of them?" Milard says sarcastically.

"Well, yes... but also that," he answers, pointing. There, in the corner, a little creature is glancing around the corner at us. Is that... a gremlin?!

"Wow... that little thing's power is amazing...!" exclaims the half elf.

"It must be a strong daemon..." agrees Suzu.

"Wait, what do you mean?" That little guy? Are they serious?

"I've read some about it before," Dad says. "Gremlins are some of the most powerful daemons... and they usually travel in packs."

"You mean... there are _more_ of them...?" The swordsman prepares his sword, his voice quiet and cautious.

"Most likely."

"Onii-chan, what should we do...?"

"Let's get out of here! This must've been the 'pit stop' that dwarf was talking about!" The others nod and we spin around and race to the stairs. There, we look back. Good, the gremlin didn't follow us...

An eerie laugh echoes around us. Ah great...

"Klarth-san..."

"Let's just keep moving. Everyone, keep an eye out for the gremlins! Chester, tell us if you hear anything strange."

"Right!" We all prepare our weapons as we proceed down the stairs, glancing around to watch for gremlins or any other monsters. I don't hear anything yet...

We reach the end of the stairs, where we find another dwarf working.

..."That was _not_ a few levels!"

"Stop complaining!"

"Why you...! Even if you fly everywhere on your broom, the rest of us have to _walk_ everywhere!"

"Sucks to be you!"

"Why you...!"

"Excuse us," Mint says as she walks over to the dwarf. "How much farther is it to your village?"

"Jus' a little farther," answers the dwarf. "Keep goin' st'aight, 'til ya see stairs on yer 'ight."

"And the village is down those stairs?"

"Aye, an' a 'ew more le'els."

"Oh, great..." I mutter. "A 'few', huh...?"

"C'mon, it'll be a piece of cake!" Arche cheers as she starts flying off. Keh...

"Don' make any detours!"

"Yeaaah, I think we learned our lesson there..." I mutter to my friends as we start walking again. "It'd help if they didn't fail at directions..."

"I'd say. Which way's straight?" Milard asks; we've reached a wall, and we can either go left or right.

I don't believe this... "All right, I'm gonna go get _real_ directions from that dwarf!" I start marching off in that direction.

"Calm down, Chester, we don't want any conflict," Dad says as he grabs my shoulder.

"OW!"

"Uh... Eh heh heh... Sorry."

"It still hurts?" questions Mint.

"Yeah..."

"Have you taken your pills yet today?" Ack, I forgot about that! As she asks, Milard pulls out three bottles of pills—two for me and one for Arche. Keh...

"Can't we wait until we reach the village?"

"You'll either forget or find another excuse," the woman says.

Keh... Arche and I exchange exasperated looks before taking the bottles. "Fine..."

"I hope nothing attacks us while we take them!" the witch cheers happily.

"Don't say something like that! And how can you be so happy about it, anyway?!"

"Heehee!"

"That's _not_ an answer!"

She grins playfully before she starts swallowing her pills—Milard hands us each a water bottle. I down my pills as quickly as I can. I hate these things... I hope I don't have to take them much longer!

"Um..."

"Something wrong, Ami-chan?" We all glance over to see my sister walking over to the wall. In front of the wall, there's a wooden sign... It says 'Dwarven Village' and points to the right.

"When'd this sign get here?"

"...Good question. Was anyone paying attention?" Dad asks; everyone shakes their heads.

"No."

"Nope!"

"Sorry."

"Should we trust it?"

"Probably not. If we don't know how it got there, then it may be a trap..." Dhaos has a point...

"But what if it's the right way?" questions my sister. "The dwarf told us not to take a detour..."

"Let's go back and ask him," I suggest; with their agreements, we walk back to where the dwarf _was_. He's not there anymore...

"No dwarf, mysterious sign... I'm not sure if this is a bad omen or a good sign," mutters the summoner.

"Either he left the sign there as he passed by or someone else put it there..." my best friend agrees. "Which way do you think we should go, Chester?"

"Wait, why me?"

"Because... I trust your sense of direction!" He smiles kindly at me. Heh...

"You're such a dork sometimes, you know that, Cless?"

He only laughs, and I grin back; heh, what I said was true, but even so... he's a great friend! "Let's go the other way—I don't trust that sign."

So we go the other way, to the left. We follow that path around in a U-turn. Stairs, stairs... ah! "I guess those are the stairs," I say as I point out the stairs coming up on the right. We take them down. It's pretty dark down here... I can still see fine, though. We follow the path, across a bridge; we glance down as we cross it.

"Wow...!" Ami exclaims as she grabs the rail of the wooden bridge and stares down. "It's so far...!"

I move next to her and also look. Wow, I see what she means! It seems to go down forever... I can't see the bottom of it! Huh? There's a light down there... ah! "Hey, I see their houses!"

Now everyone joins us by the edge, curiously looking down. "Where, where?!" demands the witch.

I point as best I can at the house with the brightest light. "You see that light? That's the house!"

"Are you sure? I can't really tell from here..."

"Yeah! It looks almost like part of the cave wall, but it's _definitely_ a house... It looks like the light's coming from a set of windows." From what I can see, the house looks like a huge brick...

"Wow... your eyesight is really good, Chester!" compliments the steed. Huh...?

"Eh? Really?"

"It seems all of your senses have gotten better, and even gone above average," agrees my father. "I wonder why..."

"We won't figure it out by standing here. Let's go." Keh, I hate how much attention they're paying to everything... they're building it up way too much! It's probably not as big as they seem to think.

Still... that's _not_ a few levels to their village! These dwarves need to learn what 'a few' means...

The path leads straight down—well, in a zigzag way—without any turns off for three levels, and then we reach another fork in the road. Left or right...

"Right looks more like what we've been traveling," Milard points out; we go that way.

"Well, we're getting closer..." I observe as we cross another bridge. We walk through another large area, lit with torches. It looks like work's recently been done here...

We walk down another set of stairs. "Hey, what level are we on now?"

"I think we're around level ten..." guesses Cless.

"Really? I thought maybe twelve..." inputs the princess.

"I think we're on level fourteen," says the angel.

"...So in other words, we have no clue."

"Sorry, Chester!"

"Keh... I dread having to go back up all of these levels!"

"If we don't hurry, we might run into more gremlins," Milard reminds us; she's ahead of the rest of us.

"Right!" We hurry to catch up with her. Everything looks about the same... and it's all been really quiet...

It smells _horrible_ down here, though... In fact, it smells kinda like that gremlin from earlier... I guess that means that this is their territory! I drop back next to Suzu. "Hey, Suzu... keep an eye out," I whisper—I don't want the gremlins to hear, if they're around... "I'm not sure, but I think the gremlins come here a lot... or they're already here."

"Understood," the ninja says, and I glance down to see a dagger already in her small hands.

We cross the bridge on this level and go down yet again. It looks the exact same... I would think that we weren't going down if it wasn't for the houses getting closer! I can hear something now... it sounds sorta like they're mining...

The area leading to the next level is longer, but it still looks the same. Couldn't it at least look a little different?!

We start walking across the bridge on this level.

Wait, that sound—"I hear something!"

"Merciless Thunder!" Suzu throws her dagger at something—lightning explodes; the creature rolls out of the way and jumps on the area in front of us. A gremlin...!

"We have you on the bridge!" cheers the gremlin. ...Ah great.

We turn around and start heading the other way—two gremlins block our path on that side. This is _not_ good!

"Bye bye!" the gremlins cheer excitedly as they cut the ropes holding the bridge up—it falls out from under our feet. No...!

A hand grabs my wrist—Arche! She's flying, and she managed to grab me... "Arche..."

"Shadow Rush!" Dhaos charges in at the two gremlins on one side, and they jump back. He's also flying... so what about the others?!

I glance down. "Can you see them...?" Arche asks, a touch of fear in her voice.

"No... I can't... Dammit!"

"Never mind that—Demon Fist!" Dhaos hits the one behind us—whoa, it was charging at me and Arche! "We'll learn nothing by standing here, especially if these gremlins decide to kill us!"

"Right... Arche, help me up!" I reach up with my other hand and grab the broom, as she pulls. As I struggle to get my leg over the broom and pull myself up on it, the angel defends us. Okay, I'm up...

"Dhaos, let's fly down!" Arche suggests; the man nods and, with one more attack at the goblins, backs out and begins flying down.

Whoa—we start falling. I hate it when she does this...! "Hey, keep control of your broom!"

"I have _perfect_ control over it! See?" We suddenly stop, and I fall forward, almost falling off.

"ARCHE!"

"Scardy cat!"

"I am not, you reckless girl!" Keh, why is she always so annoying?! "Why are you so frivolous about this—do you _want_ to die?!"

"Of course not!"

"Then _act_ like it!"

Arche turns her head to me, an annoyed glare on her face. "Fine, then next time I won't save you."

"Keh... don't say something like that so lightly! Our friends could be..."

"Hey, you two! Hurry up!" barks Dhaos.

"Okay!" We start flying down again, only this time at a slower, more controlled pace. Whew... And we're going to make it down there a lot faster than we originally would have!

"There are enemies around," Dhaos alerts us as he throws his fist at one of the bird daemons flying towards us. "Demon Fist!"

Arche stops to charge up a spell, and I notch an arrow on my bow and take aim. I shoot at its wing, knocking it out of the air. Another one comes from the other side—I shoot at it as well.

"Maelstrom!" Waves crash into the creature, slamming it against the wall. That shake does _not_ sound good...

"Hey! Be more careful, or you'll bring the cave down again!" I bark.

"Oh shaddup!" We're passing more levels of what looks to be the same thing... Y'know, as long as our friends are all right, I might actually be thankful to the gremlins for this! But... if our friends are...

No, they're all right! Somehow...

We finally land, just a few levels above the bottom of this thing, where the Dwarven village is. Wow, there are so many dwarves here...! There are also people our size with pointed ears—half elves?

The houses are either buried into the rock walls or just outside of them, whichever's most convenient for a plot of land. The villages goes up for about nine levels... wow! If their village is so tall... then maybe _that's_ why they only see getting here as 'a few' levels...

"Chester! Arche! Dhaos!" That sounds like... Cless! I glance around—our friends are standing one level below us, among the dwarves. Arche and Dhaos fly down to them, with me still riding on Arche's broom.

"You guys are all right!"

"Yeah. Klarth-san summoned Sylph just in time!" Cless explains.

"So ye were sayin' there's a bridge out," a dwarf says from next to them. "What le'el?"

"We're not sure... We lost track after the first five," Dad answers.

The dwarf that Dad's talking to... he has gray hair and a gray beard. He's wearing rough, mining clothes, just like all of the other dwarves. They're all working... Hey, there are female dwarves here, too! They don't have beards... but they still have a _lot_ of hair...

"How'd it fall?" questions the dwarf.

"Gremlins attacked us on the way down... they destroyed the bridge."

"So, the gremlins are attackin' our visitors now..."

Eh? "Have the gremlins been attacking you for a while?" I question.

"Aye. Most'a what they do is pranks, but sometimes it becomes more serious..."

Keh, so not only are they powerful, but they're troublemakers as well...

"...Is there anything we can do to help?" Mint asks.

Eh?!

"I'm afra'd not, unless ye fight 'em... The greml'ns are tough, though, so I don' suggest it," answers the dwarf. "Ye can rest here as long as ye want, though. We'll figure ou' what to do 'bout the gremlins so ye can leave 'ere safely when you want ta."

"Thank you."

Wow... these dwarves aren't bound by discrimination like the people above them. Up there, they're all fighting amongst themselves, but down here... none of that seems to matter. I glance around; I see dwarves and half elves playing or working together or talking... "You guys really do a lot for the people that come to you, huh...?"

"Dwarven Vow number two! Never abandon someone in need," explains the dwarf. Dwarven Vows again... Didn't Lloyd use that?

"Dwarven Vow? What's that?" questions my sister.

"It's tha code we live by!" the dwarf explains proudly, and a few other dwarves seem to be paying attention now. "Ye've never 'eard of 'em?"

"No, I can't say we have..." says the tiger.

"Dwarven Vow number sixteen! Ye can do anythin' if ye try!" one dwarf pipes up.

"Aye! We're gonna fight those gremlins!" agrees another.

"...I'm scared to ask, but how many Dwarven Vows _are_ there...?" I'm curious...

"Over a 'undred." ...No way.

"And you have them all memorized?"

"Aye. If ye've never 'eard of 'em, ye should at least 'ear the most important one!"

"Oh? And what's that—the longest beard always wins?" I joke.

"Chester!"

"Dwarven Vow number seven!" all of the dwarves around us chorus. "Justice and love will always win!"

...You're joking. "Hold on, _that's_ the most important vow? Are you crazy, or morons?"

"Ah...! H-he didn't mean it like..." Heh, I'm worrying Cless now...

"And why isn't that Dwarven Vow number one if it's most important?"

"Dwarven Vow number one! Let's all work together fer a peaceful world!"

...Okay, these dwarves are officially crazy. Shouldn't _that_ be the most important vow? "...You know what? I'm not going to question it anymore. Let's just get something to eat... I'm starving after that walk!"

"Agreed... Could you point us towards a restaurant?"

"Aye. There's one ova there," the dwarf says, pointing at an open door. "My name's Ifalde Roxaml, if ye ever need anythin'."

"Thank you." We walk into the restaurant. I wonder what dwarves have to eat...

This is one of those where you just walk in and sit... We do that; our group takes up the largest table. Ugh... these seats are uncomfortable! They make everything out of rocks here, it seems...

"We'll have to order everything up there, it seems," observes Milard, as she indicates a counter where a few dwarves are working. We stare at our menus first, trying to decide what to get. Hm... they have a lot of meats on here! Some I've never even heard of... Heh, it should be interesting to try!

Once we've all decided, about half of us go to order, while the rest wait and talk. I'm in one of the half that's ordering somehow... We place our orders and then wait patiently for the dwarves to make them. Come to think of it, they didn't ask us what we want to drink... I guess all they'd have down here is water.

They hand us the food on rock trays, and we carry them over to the rest of the group. The plates, silverware, and cups are all made out of metal... a silver-colored metal. The cups look a little different, though... Ah well. I guess that's what happens with a city of miners...

Everyone takes their food, and we begin eating. Hey, this is really good! I've never heard of this meal before... Heh, Mint should learn how to make it, whatever it is!

I grab my drink—ah! I drop it. That... hurt...

"Chester, are you okay?"

"Y-yeah..." I wonder why... The only other thing that ever hurts like that is Dad's touch...!

I stare down at the liquid. It's a carmine color... and I can clearly smell it. Wait, _ale_?! I glance at Ami's cup. They served some to her, too! "Hey, Ami! You're getting a new drink!"

"Huh?! Why?"

"Just trust me and come on!" I stand up, grabbing her hand as I do so—I pull her over to the counter.

"What'll ye have?" the cashier asks.

"I need some water for her and some more ale for me," I tell them.

"We need two more cups of water," Dad speaks up from behind me. Eh? He's not drinking the ale? Or... "For Suzu," he explains, noticing my look. "And Milard wants one as well."

"Oh, right."

"Why don't you two go sit down? I'll bring the drinks over," offers our father.

"You sure?"

"Yeah."

"All right." I take Ami back over to the table, and we sit down. Her cup and Suzu's cup have both already been discarded... Hey wait a minute! Dad has _two_ cups now! I don't believe him...

"What is this drink...?" Cless asks. ...Wow, I can't believe he hasn't figured it out! Heh, I guess that's why he and Mint haven't gotten water yet!

"It's an odd type of fruit punch," I lie; Cless needs to relax and have some alcohol!

"Then why'd you take Ami to get a new drink?"

"She doesn't like it!"

"But Onii-chan..."

"Anyway, let's just keep eating!"

Dad returns with the three drinks and passes them out. "Thanks."

"No problem." Dad sits down and begins eating.

I grab the cup. Huh, that's weird... it doesn't hurt now. Heh, now I can have some ale! I take in a big gulp. It tastes really good!

"The dwarves have good taste in food!" cheers Arche.

"Yeah, agreed!"

"Remember, we came here to find Martel," Milard reminds us. "And her brother Mithos... After we eat, we should probably ask Ifalde if they're here."

"All right! Wow, I never expected that we'd go ten thousand years into the past and meet dwarves!" I say before drinking some more ale. Heh, and get to drink some Dwarven ale! I hope Cless doesn't realize what it is... I wanna see him get drunk!

"I know! It's really neat, huh?" agrees my best friend.

"Yes, I wish we had a camera!" Mint says.

"Oh right! Don't we need to show Sardon-san the dwarves?" Ami points out as she drinks some of her water.

"Ah, that's right! Maybe we should contact him now?"

"Let's eat first," suggests the meerkat.

"Right!" I eat some more of the meat. Heh heh, I really like this meal!

"Klarth-san, are you not hungry?"

Eh? I glance over at my father.

"Ah...! I-I am!" He clutches his cup tightly in his right hand and begins chugging it. Wow...!

"Are you okay, Klarth-sensei?!"

He slams down the empty jug. "Perfectly fine! Where's that other one..." He grabs it and takes a gulp from that one as well.

"Klarth, don't drink too much."

"Relax, I can hold my liquor!"

"You just drank a whole jug...!"

"...So it's alcohol..." mutters Cless. He pauses. Uh-oh...

"Eh heh heh..."

"Mint, you want some water?" The swordsman stands.

"Ah...! Yes, please..."

Cless walks over to order water for him and Mint. Aww, I was so close, too...

"Klarth, you don't need to drink that much!" Milard says, annoyed.

"I'll be fine!" Nonetheless, he switches to eating his food.

Heh, you know, I'm kinda surprised he's letting me drink this! He's not a very good father yet... not that I mind! I drink some more of the ale.

Cless returns with water for himself and Mint, which they gladly drink.

"More ale!" Arche cheers as she holds up her empty jug. A few of the dwarves around us clap as a worker comes over with a large, pitcher of ale, which he puts on the table for us.

"Yer doin' pretty good ta hold Dwarven ale!" he compliments us.

"It's good! We need some of this stuff in our time!"

"In yer time?"

"Yep! We're from the future!"

"A-Arche-chan..." Mint speaks up. "Maybe it'd be best if you didn't have any more..."

"But this stuff's great! C'mon, how could you want anything else?!" demands the half elf as she clumsily pours herself another cup. Heh... this should be amusing!

"Can I try it?" my sister asks.

"No! You're too young!" I quickly tell her.

"Aww... That's not fair..."

"Trust me, Ami, you don't want to drink that stuff..." Suzu speaks up.

"You can have some when you're older!" I tell her as I drink some more.

"Hey, stop treating me like a kid!" argues the bunny.

"You _are_ a kid!"

"You're mean, Onii-chan!"

"Klarth, are you sure you're all right?" Milard asks; Dad's not eating again... Is something on his mind?

"Yeah! I'm just... talking to the summon spirits."

"Are they being noisy?" I question.

"Not exactly... Ah, never mind!" He drinks some more. I wonder what they're talking about...

"Wow, Klarth-sensei's a great drinker!" Arche cheers. "I never would've expected that!"

"Yep! Imma greatest shinker in the whole..." Dad hiccups; he's done with his second jug...! "...whole... Gimme some more of that..." He grabs the pitcher and pours himself some more, spilling it all over the table as he does so.

"You've had _way_ too much already!" argues Milard as she grabs the pitcher as well. Dad lets her take it as he drinks what he's poured. I guess he managed to get enough for him!

"Teres no such thin' as too much!"

"Agreed! Ya have ta... enjoy it!"

"Arche, I don't think that's even what they were arguing..." mutters Cless.

"I know that! I was jus' testin' ya!"

"Idiot..." She's a terrible liar when drunk!

"Stupidhead!"

"Moron!"

"Jerkface!"

"Chester... you're arguing with a drunk," Milard points out. "You shouldn't get worked up about that..."

"I'm not getting worked up!"

"It's 'cause hesa prenader!"

"A what?"

"Prenader!"

"Um... I think you've had too much to drink..."

"How do ya have too much ta sink?"

"Sey have sinks in 'is time?"

"Dunno, but sey have good ale!"

"Not you, too, Chester!"

"Huh? Theres only one of me..."

"That's... not what I meant..."

"Dish is good dink! What... what was tha imporant Dwavaven Vow? Lesh all... drink t'getha... fer a peaceful beer! Milard, pash me s'more..."

"Yar wrong, Klarsh-sensei! It was... pum'kins an' hug will asways wins!"

"Eww, pum'kins don' taste good!"

"Pum'kins are very good! Seyre _good_ veggies!"

"Theres no such thin' as good veggies!"

"Fruits and vegetables are really good for you, though..."

"Mint-chan, it might be best if we stayed out of this..."

"I dun like 'em!"

"But I thought you loved pears..."

"Pairs o' what?"

"Eh?! Onii-chan, what's wrong with you...?"

"Suzu-chan, Ami-chan, why don't you two go explore the village?"

"I'm going, too. I'm tired of this..."

"Hey, where're Ami, Susu, and Dhaos goin'?"

"Hey Dad, gimme some mer beer!"

"Chester, you _really_ shouldn't drink any more..."

"Ya should have s'more, Cress!"

"I think I'll pass..."

"Pass tha beer?"

"No!"

"Don' be shilleh! I shink betteh wif a coupla beers! It helpsh me flow!"

"...Who are you talking to, Klarth?"

"My shummonin' spiris!"

"Oh oh! Bring 'em out bring 'em out!"

"NO DON'T!"

"All 'ight... I, Klarf F. Lesta... am tha bestest and sm'rtest shummonin' pershon in da whole sheri—I mean wald! Sho... come, Volt!"

"I dun shee 'em..."

"...Come, Volt!"

"Whew... Klarth-san can't summon while drunk..."

"We're in luck..."

"Ahs wells..."

"'Ey... Ish shmells a 'emlin!"

"WHAT?!"

"How'd ya smell it?"

"It shmells terrible!"

"T-this is bad! Mint, Milard-san..."

"C-Cless-san! Are you okay?!"

"I feel a little dizzy..."

"Here they come—"

**Arche gained the title of Daredevil. Challenging my control is lots of fun!**

**Chester gained the title of Hypocritical Hero. ****You can't have this—it's not good for you; but I'll take some!**

**Klarth gained the title of Heavy Drinker Thinker. He was lost in thought... until he got lost in drinks!**


	46. Strange Man

**I made a huge mistake, which I have gone back and corrected... but it affects future stuff. So, um, I was looking at years for things in Tales of Phantasia... I messed up Merilynn's time by about four hundred years. Sorry! She's actually from year 2541... I've also messed up when Kalinthra was born. She was born in year 2529. Again, sorry about ****that! It's fixed now, and I'll use the correct years from now on.**

**Also! Announcing the end of the guessing game! If my muses (Tim, Chester, and Klarth) don't delay the things happening in the story, then Chester's disease should be revealed in two or three more chapters!**** I'll end the game with chapter 48... So ****you can guess with a review for this chapter or the next one, but after that, the game will be over!**

**With that, please enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Tales of games. They are owned by Namco.**

**--****Strange Man****--**

Ow, my head hurts... Huh? Where am I...?

I'm in a sleeping bag on a hard, rock floor. There are other sleeping bags around, but they're unoccupied...

It must be morning... What is today? I... can't help but feel like something big's gonna happen today... but what?

My head... maybe it'd be best not to think... or to just go back to sleep...

The door slams open and someone suddenly jumps next to me, grabbing me. What the?!

"Chester! Wake up!"

"Go away..." Keh, Arche... of all people why _her_?!

Wait... the others are here, too. They're all in here... for some reason, I don't have to look to know that. It's not that I sense them or anything weird like that... I'm not sure just _what_ it is...

"Now that you're awake, I want to talk to you three..." Milard speaks up, her voice annoyed. Uh-oh... "What were you _thinking_?! We're on a dangerous journey, and you three got _drunk_! We're lucky the dwarves are strong, or else the gremlins would've kidnapped you!"

"Who?"

"You, Chester-kun."

"Wait, me?! Why me?!"

"I don't know, but they seemed intent on going after you..." Cless explains.

"Well? Don't you three have anything to say for yourselves?" The meerkat stands tall in front of us, her hands on her hips.

"Last night was fun!" Arche cheers. "Right, Chester?"

"Huh? I don't really remember much after getting drunk..."

"Oh come on, how can you not remember it?! It was _so_ romantic!" Wait a sec, what's she... She leans forward so her face is only inches from mine. "Let's do it again tonight, okay?"

"H-hold on!" I back up—ow! There's a wall there... and now my head hurts even _more_! "What the heck are you talking about?!"

"I can't believe you two!" Milard yells.

"W-wait! Nothing happened! This is all in her head!"

"You said yourself that you don't remember..."

"Well I know I didn't do anything with Arche!"

"Wha?! Why are you being such a jerk now?! And this is mine and Chester's conversation!"

"The rest of us overheard anyway, and we're not planning on leaving."

"Fine, whatever! Now Chester..." Arche turns to me.

"Nothing happened!"

"Yes it did! We snuck out while everyone else was asleep!"

"We did no such thing—how would we get out of here, anyway?!"

"My flying."

"And what's the _point_?!"

"It's uncomfortable in here! You said it yourself!" argues the half elf. She's crazy...! "Plus it's more romantic under Sylvarant—it was so large and full! Tethe'alla's almost full!"

"Now I _know_ you're lying!" Ha, caught her! "Last night wasn't the full moon—for _either_ moon!"

"Yes it was! It was big, bright, and round! Besides, how would you know if you didn't go out there?!"

"I've been paying attention," I explain. "Besides, there's always a night or two _before_ the full moon where it _looks_ full. If you just pay attention, you can figure it out!"

"But we only just arrived in this time..." Mint points out.

Ah...

"Yeah, and there's no way any of us could know if it was full or not from down here..."

"Whatever... let's just get breakfast and forget about Arche's insanity!" I know she's wrong... Even if I can't remember much, I know that she's wrong about that! And about...

"I'm not insane!"

"You sure had me fooled!"

"You stupid moron!"

"Keh... when will my head stop hurting...?" Ow... I hope it stops soon...

"Just eat breakfast... it'll go away," Milard says. "And you're drinking _water_ here, understood?"

"That's for Dad to decide," I point out. Heh heh, maybe he'll let me drink some more...

"You're not having any more alcohol until you're older," Dad speaks up. Wha?!

"Hold on... you were fine with me ordering ale last night! You were sober at that point, too!"

He glances down. "That was different..." Huh?!

"How so?"

"...Let's go get breakfast." He turns around and leads the way downstairs. Keh...

We follow him downstairs, to the bar in the hotel.

"Hold on, Klarth, you're not out of this yet!" calls Milard. "_You're_ the one who let your son get drunk!"

Dad doesn't answer—he simply continues walking.

They serve mainly meats for breakfast, too... This'll be a good breakfast! I choose what to have at random, since I don't know any of them, and then pour myself some water. I find a table and sit down to eat. Ow, my head... it still hurts...

We eat in a stiff silence. I think they're _all_ mad at us for getting drunk... At least we had fun! They should've joined in!

The communication book starts beeping, and Dad jumps to his feet. "I'm going to go see what Sardon wants!" He hurries off, back upstairs. Eh...? Why not just talk to him out here? Or does he not want the dwarves to see...? But the dwarves are nice people...

...Or maybe he just wanted an excuse to get away from Milard. Keh, I need an excuse, too!

"Oi, there ye are!" a dwarf calls out—Ifalde! He walks over to us. "I 'eard about ye tryin' Dwarven ale. How'd ye like it?"

"That stuff was great!" I answer. "We need some of that!"

"Aye, we dwarves know our beer!" he says proudly.

"That's not something you should be proud about..." mutters the meerkat as she eats.

"Anyway, we've 'een 'aving some difficulties with the gremlins. It seems ye've caught their eye... We're tryin' to get rid of 'em, but it's provin' to be difficult. Ye should let me know before ye leave, so we can escort ye out."

"Thank you... We're looking for some people, and we wanted to know if they were here," Cless speaks up.

"Who?"

"Martel and Mithos Yggdrasil."

"Ahh, the 'Ggdrasils... They and 'eir companions 'ave traveled 'ere quite a bit, but las' I checked, they were 'eaded off to Bal'cruf."

"Can you show us where that is on this map?" She pulls out the map.

"Aye, it's 'ight... 'ere."

"Thank you."

"Are ye 'eaded off, then?"

"After Klarth comes back down. Chester-kun, will you go get him?"

"Sure!" I jump up, glad for an excuse to get away from Milard, even if only for a few minutes. I hurry upstairs, to the room.

"No way...! Are you sure?!" That's Sardon's voice... I wonder what they're talking about...

"No, but... it all makes sense... _too_ much sense!" Eh? I never thought I'd hear Dad say that! But _what_ makes sense...?

"H-hold on, don't jump to conclusions! Shouldn't your summon spirits know about it?"

"No, they've never met one before... There _is_ one summon spirit who has, but... she's dead by our time. ...The gremlins might know, though."

"Ehhh?! Gremlins?! But aren't those... dangerous?"

"We're in danger as it is if we let things stand. I need to figure out how much time we have... and I need more research from you."

"Aye-aye! Leave it to me! I'll find out stuff, no matter what!"

"And Sardon, no matter what, don't let the others know about this." Eh? Dad doesn't want us... to know about this? He's keeping something from us...?!

"All right! I keep _good_ secrets!"

"...Somehow, you saying that worries me..."

"Heeey, Klarth-san! I'm—"

_"Someone help!"_ That's... Merilynn!

I'm suddenly in the clearing in front of Yggdrasil—the tree Yggdrasil—and Merilynn and her three friends are here. So is Martel...! Martel looks to be hurting, and the four kids are gathered around her, scared.

I hear something... footsteps and clanking armor!

"Chester!" Merilynn calls out. "They're hurting Martel, and they're coming here—guards from all of our countries! This war might kill her—we have to do something!" Wha?! But Martel's still alive by my time...

"You four must escape..." says the goddess. "No, you five... You'll only be in danger if you stay."

"We're not leaving!" says the elf as she pulls out her sword. She's just a kid...!

"Hold on, you four are just kids! You can't fight a whole army!" I argue.

"We're the royalty of our countries. They'll listen to us!" says the red headed boy confidently.

"Kalinthra, you should know best the danger of the situation," Martel says, addressing the elf. Wait, this girl...

"You're Kalinthra?! Kalinthra of Heimdall?!"

"Never mind that! ...Ray!" I spin around as her spell hits the guards behind us—the soldiers are fighting amongst themselves!

"Your highness! Please get to safe—ahh!" one of the guards is hit as he addresses the red-headed boy.

"No, stop!" The idiot kid tries to move forward, but I hold a hand out to stop him.

Merilynn and the blonde boy—Sauound, right?—dodge under me and hurry over to the battle.

"Hey, come back here! You idiots!" I chase after them—dammit, the red-head and Kalinthra got past me!

Something explodes near by—what _is_ that?! It's magic... but it's...

Martel screams in pain. Is it... magitech?!

The waves of it catch the soldiers, killing them—"No, Merilynn!"

I reach out—I'm back in the Dwarven hotel... Dammit! Those kids were caught up in that! What the heck happened to them?! And that elf is Kalinthra... it was her diary that cursed Arche!

"Chester, are you all right?" Dad asks; ack, he saw!

"Yeah, I'm fine...

"What happened this time?"

"There was an explosion of magitechnology, I think... Merilynn, Sauound, Kalinthra, and their other friend got caught up in it..."

"Wait, Kalinthra?! The same one who..."

"Yeah... the four of them knew Martel... Oh right, we're leaving Morlia now..." Keh, I missed the rest of what him and Sardon were talking about... and I _still_ don't know what they're hiding from us!

"We'll need to do something about the gremlins first," Dad points out. "It'll be hard to leave with them attacking us, especially if the bridge is still out."

Ah, he's right... "Any ideas?"

"...Just one. I'll need to talk to Ifalde first..."

"He was talking to us downstairs a few minutes ago."

"Good, then let's go talk to him." Dad offers a hand to help me up. Wait, but...

"Won't that hurt me?"

"I don't think it will this time."

Huh...? Okay... I take his hand and he pulls me up, to my feet. "Wow, you're right! It didn't hurt! But why...?"

"Well..." He glances away. Wait... he's trying to dodge it—he knows something! He knows something about this... maybe even what it is! But then why... why doesn't he tell me?!

"Ah, there ye are!" Ifalde and the others walk over.

"What took so long?" questions the meerkat.

"Sorry, Merilynn called," I answer.

"Ifalde, I think I know a way to get rid of the gremlins for you," my father speaks up.

"Oh? How?"

He holds up a pact ring—the Turquoise Ring. "I'll need a ring like this..."

"Hold on. You're _not_ serious. You're going to make a pact with the gremlins?! Are you crazy?!" I demand.

"Why not? Gremlins may be powerful, and they're skilled pranksters... but they're not very bright creatures. They should be easy to outsmart."

"Hm... a pact ring, eh? All o' tha pact rings came from Dwarven technology, so makin' a new one shouldn' be hard fer us. What stone d'ya want?"

"You know the gremlins best—whatever stone they'll like."

"Aye... They've 'een in'rested in jades, so we'll use one o' those. It'll take jus' a little while to make..."

"Pact rings are made using pure silver and a gem, right?" Dad questions. I think they've forgotten about the rest of us...

"Aye. Ye can't make 'em any other way—other materials don' hold spirits an' conduct magic as well."

"I see... I suppose that makes sense... May I watch as you make it? I have some more questions about the process and materials..."

"Aye. Follow me," Ifalde says, and the two walk off, leaving the rest of us standing there. I wonder if Sardon got his hands on Dwarven notes to make the Tiger's Eye Ring...

"I guess we're staying here for a little while longer, then," I say. "Hey Cless, wanna go hunting?"

"All right! Does anyone else want to join us?"

"I'll pass. I'd rather find some nice, half elf boys to have fun with—at least _they_ won't lie!" quips Arche. Why that little...!

"Look, just because you're going crazy doesn't mean I'm going to play along with your stupid fantasies! Why have you even put _me_ in them in the first place?!"

"I'm not going crazy! It happened—you were just too drunk to remember!"

"It did not!"

"You stupid... thick-skulled moron!" She flies off. Keh! She's the one being an idiot!

"Arche-chan!" Mint calls out. "Ah, I'm going to go make sure she's all right! Please be careful..."

"Don't worry, Mint, we'll be fine!" assures the steed. "Just take care of Arche for us!" And with that, the cleric hurries off after her best friend.

"I want to play with some of the kids in the village!" Ami cheers.

"That's all you. Don't expect any of us to join you!"

"Okay! Be careful Onii-chan, Cless-san!" She runs off, to a circle of half elf and dwarf kids.

"We're running low on food and other materials, so I'll buy what we need while you're hunting," offers the meerkat.

"Thank you!"

Milard walks off, leaving us with Dhaos and Suzu.

"So, are either of you coming?" I question. Not Dhaos, not Dhaos...

"Might as well. I'm tired of doing nothing," says the snake. Keh...! Figures...

"I'm coming as well," Suzu says. "Extra training will help all of us."

"All right, then let's go!" We head over to a set of stairs that leads up. There looks to be an exit out of the village up a few levels, among the houses... we head straight for that. It leads us into the dark cave, lit by only torches lined against the wall. There are dwarves mining here... We walk past them, following the path deeper into the cave.

We're finally getting past the dwarves... there's a lot of them working! I wonder if they're just looking for rare metals or what...

I hear something... a creature moving... I pull out my bow and notch an arrow on it; the others notice and stop, preparing their weapons. A large, sponge creature with red tentacles wanders our way; noticing us, it attacks—I quickly shoot it. The other three charge in as I notch another arrow. We quickly kill it; it leaves some gald and a lemon gel. Cless picks the gel up, and we all stare at it for a minute.

"...I'm not eating that," I mutter. "What kind of crazy person would eat a gel dropped by a monster? Where'd it even _have_ that gel—in its digestive track?!"

"Stop complaining. It's cheaper than always buying them," Dhaos points out.

"It was _inside_ the monster!"

"Clean it, if you're that worried about it."

Cless and I exchange dumbfounded looks. The angel begins walking again, and the rest of us follow. I hate him...

I hear something else... that sound is—"Something big's coming this way—_fast_!"

"Ah...!" Cless points behind me, speechless; I spin around. What the?! There's a huge boulder rolling our way!

"Don't move!" the ninja orders. Isn't that a little backwards?! "Shadow Storm!"

Just before the boulder hits us, leaves swirl around us and we teleport to the other side of it—the boulder crashes into the wall, shaking the cavern. Whew...

"Thank you, Suzu," says the steed.

"Hey... I smell gremlins!" I'm positive that's what that horrible stench is...

"Wait, _smell_?"

"...Yes, smell. ...Don't ask, 'cause I don't know."

"I thought you were just saying that last night because you were drunk..."

"The gremlins are probably after us," Dhaos interrupts. "Keep an eye out!"

"Right," says Cless. Keh, I hate Dhaos ordering us around!

We keep walking. Ah, bats! A flock of red bats attacks us—we each take out a different bat.

"This is pretty easy!" I point out. Heh heh...

"Yeah, we've gotten a lot stronger!" agrees my best friend.

The lights are getting more and more spread out as we move deeper into the cave, away from Morlia.

Something cracks—the ground below Dhaos falls.

"Dhaos!"

We all hurry over—at the bottom of the bit are spikes, which the angel is easily flying above. He hovers back up and lands on the solid ground; his wings disappear. He says nothing, but keeps moving. I hope there aren't too many traps like that... if anyone besides Dhaos had fallen, then... I don't even want to think about that!

"They probably have more traps around," mutters the sparrow.

"Oh... great... just what I wanted to hear..." I hate these gremlins...

We keep walking. I can smell them... but I can't pinpoint exactly where they are...

There's a noise above us—I glance up—rocks! There are a bunch of rocks falling straight at us—

"Stand back! Aegis Strike!" Cless slams his sword into the ground and creates a small barrier—it's enough to destroy the rocks before hitting us.

"Thanks, Cless!"

"No problem!" The swordsman takes his weapon in hand again and we move on. Maybe we should head back... this is more trouble than it's worth!

"Keh, this hunting trip is getting to be annoying..." I tell them. "If there's any more traps, why don't we just head back?"

"Agreed..."

"Very well."

"Okay."

Whoa—something grabs my feet and suddenly pulls me up. Ow, this is uncomfortable... what happened?

Ah... All four of us have been caught in a rope net, which is hanging from the ceiling. I hear gremlins cheering. Keh...! They forgot one thing...

Suzu and Cless cut through the rope on opposite sides, and we all fall out—ow! I got tangled up and couldn't land right...

Well, the gremlins have stopped cheering, at least!

"Let's head back," I say. "I'm tired of this..."

"Yeah." We turn around and begin walking the other way, back towards Morlia.

As we walk, we reach a fork in the road. I know we came from the left but... there's a sign in between the paths now that says 'Shinies' and points to the right.

"...Do they _really_ expect us to fall for that? That's just sad..."

"Didn't they pull that trick already?" Cless points out.

"They did... yesterday."

"I guess their memory's not that good," mutters the snake.

"Neither is their handwriting." ...Suzu has a point. It's _so_ sloppy...

We head left, ignoring the sign. We've been through this area, so it should be fine...

Arrows shoot past me on both sides, barely missing me.

"Chester!"

That could've killed me...! "Why those gremlins... When I find them, I'm gonna kill them!"

"C-Chester, calm down... We'll have to look for them later, right?" Cless points out.

"Fine, let's just go!" I take the lead. I just want to get back to the village now... Keh, those stupid gremlins ruined a hunting trip!

What the?! A blue light surrounds me—this is like... teleportation?!

We're in another part of the cave now... I don't know exactly where, but it's definitely different... there are no torches. I can hear the others breathing as I wait patiently for my eyes to adjust. Cless, Suzu, and Dhaos are all here... I know they are.

I can see now... it's dark, but I can tell what things are, and I can see all of my friends, who have their weapons out and are standing in defensive positions. In front of us are six gremlins, all staring at us.

"Is everyone here...?" Cless mumbles softly.

"Yeah," I whisper back. "But so are the gremlins...!"

"Where?" questions the angel.

"Hold on, I'll show you..." I notch an arrow on my bow and start charging fire energy into it as I aim at the gremlins. "Hell Pyre!" The gremlins easily dodge.

"Stalagmite!" yells the angel, and rocks burst up under the gremlins, hitting a few of them.

The gremlins yelp. Heh... Time for payback!

"Hey hey, why are you attacking us?!" yells one gremlin. Uh...

"Weren't _you_ the ones setting up traps?!" I point out.

"Those were meant for the humans, not the daemons!"

"Most of us are humans! Dhaos is the only non-human among us right now, and he's not a daemon!"

"Huh?" One of the daemons walks up to me and sniffs me. What the heck is it doing?! "Hm... What are you, then?"

What?! I hit it on the head. "I'm human!"

"Ow! That hurt!" The gremlin complains as it grabs its head. I thought these things were supposed to be strong... "You don't smell human! Nor is your mana human!"

I hit it again. "That's because I've been cursed!"

"Ow!"

"Chester..."

"What?! This thing's being rude!"

"Hey, we were trying to help free you from those humans!"

Why this little... I hit him a three more times. "You could've killed me! And they're my friends!"

"Owwww..." The gremlin backs up while the others hurry to its side, hissing.

"Hey, what are you doing?! This is gremlin turf—you can't attack us here!"

I hit the one who talked now. "And what do I care about that?!"

"Why you... even if you're a fellow daemon, you've gone too far! Attack!"

The gremlins leap at us—I step back and aim an arrow at them. "Thunder Blitz!"

Suzu throws a dagger into the ground right in front of another gremlin. "Pyre!" Fire bursts from the dagger, hitting the daemon.

Cless and Dhaos charge forward, the former with his sword and the latter with his fists, attacking our enemies. I take aim again.

Whoa—ow! A gremlin tripped me from behind—another latches onto Dhaos' back and claws at him. Cless and Suzu each have two gremlins to deal with—Suzu's barely managing to dodge them, and the swordsman is just taking their hits and fighting back.

I push myself up and aim again—ack, I'll hit one of my friends! This isn't good...

A gremlin charges at me—I jump back and aim at it. I shoot it—dammit! They're too fast!

I hear something—ah! Dad, Milard, and Ifalde...! They just warped in! "Cover me!" Dad calls out.

Blue runes light the dark room as Milard concentrates her mana into the words she writes in the air. "Pyre Seal!" The runes charge at one of the gremlins attacking Suzu, where it explodes in a burst of magic—the two gremlins over there are thrown back, yet Suzu is left untouched. Nice...!

I aim at one of them and shoot—yes! It hit!

Milard draws more runes—"Heal!"

Ifalde runs up to a gremlin and attacks it with a large pickaxe. He misses—Suzu attacks it and hits.

"Chester!" Cless hits one before it reaches me; ah! I quickly shoot one that's attacking him from behind. Without a word, we quickly move on to fight the rest of the gremlins. There's one going after Dad...! I shoot at it.

"I summon thee... Come, Luna!"

Luna appears, still sitting on her crescent moon. Laser beams rain down around us, hitting the goblins and knocking them back. The six of them gather up in one area, and we regroup as well.

Dad steps forward. "Which one of you is the leader?"

"We all are!" they chorus.

"Interesting... Then I guess I'll make this proposal to all of you."

"Proposal?"

"That's right. You don't get much... good food here, do you?"

"No... dwarves provide good fat, but they don't have any magic!" says one gremlin. Ick... How can he say something like that?!

"You like eating magic, don't you?" Where's Dad going with this?

"Of course!"

"Well then, we'll feed you some magic if you come with us."

"Really?!"

"How about it? It'll be like an all-you-can-eat-buffet."

Hold on a sec, if he's making the pact with the gremlins, then does that mean...

The six daemons discuss this among themselves for less than a minute. "Okay! Give us food!"

"Good." Dad holds out his hand, a new pact ring—the Jade Ring—in it. "In exchange, you'll help me when I need it. Do you accept this pact?"

"Pact? That sounds kinda strange... Oh well! We get free magic, right? We accept!" the gremlins cheer. Wow, I don't believe this... these things are complete idiots!

The six of them vanish into beams of darkness that enter the Jade Ring, which Dad then puts on his finger.

"Klarth-san..."

"What? I didn't lie."

I can't help but laugh. "For so much trouble, they sure are gullible!"

"Ye really got rid o' the gremlins..." mutters the dwarf, astonished. "We owe ye our gratitude... Why don' ye stay the night? It'll be on us, and we'll throw in some Dwarven artifacts or whatever else ye need on yer journey!"

Dad nods. "We'll stay a little while, but we should probably move on before nightfall."

"Come on, then, I'll lead ye back to Morlia. We'll heal ye there!"

That sounds good... those gremlins were pretty tough! I hope Dad will be okay, having a pact with them...

_"The gremlins might know, though."_

Know what? What's he hiding from us...? And with this pact, he can talk to the gremlins as much as he wants without any of us knowing... What's going on?!

**Milard gained the title of ****Group ****Mother. She has to work hard to keep everyone in line, just like a mother would.**

**Klarth gained the title of Keeper of Secrets. Just what is he hiding from everyone? What has he learned?**

**Chester gained the title of Strange Man. Even the gremlins are confused by his disease!**

**Dhaos learned Stalagmite.**

**Suzu learned Pyre.**

**Milard learned Pyre Seal.**

**Klarth can now summon Gremlin's Lair.**

**Klarth received the Jade Ring.**


	47. Worried Son

**Okay! This is your last chance for the guessing game! ****Darkangel****-san has seven guesses left, and everyone else has eight guesses left. Feel free to use them up, since this is the last chance! ****Remember, you'll most likely get a title for guessing! You know you want to...**

**Chester's disease will most likely be revealed in the next chapter, but it may get pushed back one more because of other events...**** Either way, it's coming up!**

**Anyway, please enjoy this chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Tales of games. They are owned by Namco.**

**--****Worried Son****--**

We walk through the cave. I hope we didn't get teleported too far away from Morlia...

"At least we don't have to worry about any traps!" I say happily as we walk.

Whoa—something grabs my leg and pulls me up into the air. I'm hanging upside down, a rope wrapped tightly around my ankle...

"Chester!"

"Looks like there was one trap left..." mutters the snake. "What irony."

"Yeah, yeah! Shut it and get me down from here!"

Suzu throws a dagger at the rope—ack! I fall on my head. Ow that _hurt_! "Ow... couldn't you have been more gentle about that?!"

"I got you down."

"Ow..."

Cless helps me up. "You okay, Chester?"

"Yeah... Let's go."

We continue walking. That better be the last trap... I'm not going to say anything this time, though. I hate irony...

Something's coming. Something's coming soon. I can't shake that feeling... but I don't know what it is. I hate that... what if it's dangerous? And how much longer until I know?!

Huh? We're already at the village? Wow, we weren't far from it! Heh, that's good... I was worried that we were all the way back at the top!

Noticing us, Mint runs over to us. "I just heard about the gremlins—is everyone okay?!"

"Yeah. Thank you for your concern, Mint!"

"Mint-chan, will you help me heal everyone?" questions the meerkat.

"Right!"

The two get to work, healing all of us. I feel a lot better now... I don't hurt at all by the time they're done. "Thanks."

"We'll give ye some free gels an' weapons," says Ifalde. "I'll be waitin' by the exit when yer ready to leave."

"Thanks. We need to find Ami and Arche first..." I wonder where those two ran off to...

We walk through the village, looking around for the two of them. We find some dwarf and half elf kids and stop to ask them about Ami.

"We're playing hide-and-go-seek!" one of the half elf kids explains. "Ami's one of the ones that hasn't been found yet..."

"Chester, Suzu, we'll leave Ami to you two," Cless says.

"Understood."

"I'm on it!" We each head different ways, looking for my sister. She shouldn't be too hard to find if I keep my senses open... Everyone keeps saying how my senses have gotten better, after all.

That smell... it's familiar... I'm pretty sure that's Ami. So then she's somewhere around here... Is she in that box? It's sitting next to what looks to be the weapon shop...

I open it up, revealing my sister's blue head. She stares up at me, surprised.

"Onii-chan!"

"Found ya," I say. "C'mon, we're leaving."

"Already?"

"Yeah, Dad made a pact with the gremlins." I help her out of the box, and then I grab her hammer for her, which was just below her. We then begin walking towards the exit of the town.

"Onii-chan... is Dad okay?"

"He seemed to be fine after making the pact, so I guess gremlins work like normal summon spirits."

"That's not what I mean," she says quickly.

"Huh? What do you mean, then?"

"I noticed it this morning... he seems distracted by something. I think something's troubling him, but I don't know what..."

Something, eh...? Is it what he was talking to Sardon about...? _"We're in danger as it is if we let things stand. I need to figure out how much time we have..."_ We're in danger... so it's many of us, right? What _is_ it, though...? And how much time...

Something's coming. Something big... maybe it's what Dad's scared of? I can't tell when it'll be here, though...

"Hey, Ami... see if you can figure out what's bugging him. If you do, let me know, okay? If it's something bad that he's worried about, we'll figure out how to stop it!"

"Okay! You tell me if you find out, too!"

"Deal." It's concerning our father, right? We should both know... maybe he'll tell one of us if we ask!

We're getting close to the exit. Wait a second... one of those smells is really odd...

"...Ye're right, I can..." That sounds like Ifalde...! "I dun see what good it'll do with regular weapons, but I'll make it. Ye want Aionis, right?"

We walk closer to him, and he turns around and waves at us. "'Ey there, where's ever'one else?"

"They're on their way."

Suzu jumps down next to us, seemingly from no where. Heh, the other two look surprised... I guess I've gotten used to it! "See what I mean?"

"I see..."

Huh... I feel kinda hungry... I wonder if we have any snacks in the pack. I'll have to wait for Milard to—wait, I hear footsteps. "Oh good, they're almost here."

The other six walk over to us, Dad bringing up the rear. I see what Ami means now... he doesn't seem to be paying that much attention; he's thinking very hard about something...

"Sorry for the wait," says Cless as Arche glares at me. Is she _still_ mad? Sheesh... she's the one who made things up!

"Don't worry, Cless-san! We weren't here long!" my sister explains.

"Well then, 'ere are some gels for ye. I added extra orange gels so ye can fully recuperate af'er that battle."

"Thank you." Milard takes the gels and puts them in the pack.

"We're also goin' ta make some special weapons fer ye. We haf ta make 'em, so come back for 'em later."

"You mean we have to come all the way back down here...?" Keh... just my luck...

"Thank you," Cless quickly pipes up. "We'll definitely come back, then."

"Is there anythin' else ye need?"

"Well... I'm kinda hungry..." I say. Maybe it was all that running around with the gremlins...

"You can eat some of the apple gels," offers Milard. "Those make a good snack."

"Actually, can we have some of those meat buns that were on your menu?" Dad suddenly speaks up as he walks over. "Those sound like they'd be good."

"All 'ight. I 'appen to 'ave some on me... Here ye go."

Milard takes them—there are five—but she hands one to me for me to eat. They're a good size—not too big for a snack, yet not too small, either... and they're warm. I take a bite.

"Hey, this is really good!"

"Can I have the recipe?" questions Mint.

"Sure. Let me 'ite it down..." The meerkat hands him the necessary writing materials, and he writes the recipe down for us; he then hands it to the princess, who examines it.

"Thank you, Ifalde-san."

"No problem! Will 'at be it, then?"

"I think so."

"Then I'll escort ye out." Ifalde turns and walks out of the town, and we follow him. It's a long way up... With only two fliers and not enough room for the Rheairds, it'll take forever to get up there...!

We walk in silence past the mining dwarves, and then through the darker part of the tunnel. I hope there aren't any more traps...

"'Ere we are," Ifalde suddenly speaks up. Huh?! We're at a dead end—I don't see any way of exiting from here! There's one spot with weird markings on the ground in here, but I don't know what it's for.

"Wait a sec, I don't see the exit!"

The meerkat walks over to the strange markings. "These are runes..."

"Yeah, 'eleportation runes. They'll take ye to the top."

"Wow, seriously?!" I wonder if there's one for the way down!

"There's not one comin' down, so we'll 'ave the bridge fixed for ye by the time ye come back. Unless ye plan on dropping in again..."

"Not particularly... We'll come when the bridge is repaired," decides the swordsman. "Well then, see you later, Ifalde!"

"Yeah. Take care!"

"See ya!" We all wave before stepping on the portal, one at a time. A blue light engulfs me. When it disappears, we're at the top, only a few rooms away from the exit. We're almost out into fresh air... Good. I miss the fresh air...

We silently walk through the doors we entered yesterday, until we're back outside. "I'm glad we're back out..."

"Yes, some fresh air really does feel nice, right?" agrees the cleric.

Arche glares at me. "We came out here last night!"

"We did not, you crazy girl!"

"Jerk! I'm not talking to you anymore!"

"Fine by me! Maybe your loud mouth won't annoy me anymore!" I combat, which only causes her to get even angrier.

"I hate you!"

"I thought you said you weren't talking to me."

"All right, you two..." Cless calls us down. Huh, usually Dad does that... "Let's head to Balacruf—that's where Martel should be."

"Right, right..." I let the Rheairds out of the wing pack. "I'm riding with Dad."

"Eh? With me? Chester, are you sure that's a good idea?"

"It'll be fine! Come on!" We all board the Rheairds; Dad's steering ours, and I'm riding behind him. We lift up into the air. "Hey Dad?"

"Yeah?"

"Heh, you've gotten used to being called that!"

"Yeah... I guess I have, haven't I...?" He pauses, flying behind the others.

"...So what's on your mind?" I question.

"Eh? What do you mean?"

"Oh come on, don't think we haven't noticed! You've been spacing out like an oblivious idiot! That's not like you."

"E-eh? I have?"

"What are you and Sardon... hiding from us?"

Surprised, he turns his head to look at me. "You..."

"Yeah, I overheard some of your conversation."

"How much?!"

Eh?! "What are you so worried about?! We might be able to _help_ you with this, you know! You can't just keep secrets from us!"

"Chester, how much did you overhear?!"

Keh... "Not much. Not enough to know what you were talking about... Only that it's dangerous."

"I see..." Dad turns back to pay attention to where we're going again, not saying a word.

"...Hey, if it's dangerous, don't we have a right to know?"

"...Chester, you trust me, don't you?" my father suddenly questions. Huh? Ah...

"Of course I trust you!"

"Then you must understand. I have my reasons for not telling you..."

"But Dad! Maybe we can help! If it's dangerous, we're _all_ in danger, right?"

He falls silent. He's not going to answer, is he...?! Keh...

Huh? What's that loud noise? It sounds like strong wind...

"There's a storm ahead!" Milard calls over to us. "We won't be able to fly through!"

I glance at the dark storm ahead. I don't see a city directly ahead of us, but in the distance, I can see some other cities... "Is this Balacruf?"

"Yeah, this whole area is part of the Balacruf Dynasty."

"Looks like things aren't so good now! What should we do?" questions my best friend.

"We have to meet Martel before she dies, right? Let's land and go in!" I tell them, and we slowly descend to the ground. I store the Rheairds in the wing pack. Wind is already pretty strong around here... We walk across the plains, towards the closest city. The wind gets more and more violent as we walk... It's pretty cold because of the wind!

There are grey clouds just ahead, where it's raining. We're getting some sprinkles, too... Lightning shoots down through the mountains, and seconds later, thunder booms. My sister jumps, surprised.

"It looks like that's the eye of the storm," Dhaos points out.

"I saw a city over there when we were in the Rheairds..." I mutter. "A city in the mountains..."

"It'd be dangerous to go there now. Let's go to the next city."

"Yeah..." We walk across the green plains, wet from the rain. Both the rain and the wind are getting stronger...

I smell blood around here... I glance around. There are some discarded weapons and helmets on the plains. That's right... Raine said something about a war that happened around this time... the Ancient Kharlan War. Looks like this is one of the battle grounds...

The rain begins dying off, though the wind's still as strong as ever.

"This storm is terrible..." I hear my best friend say.

"At least the wind's not getting any stronger," I point out. "If it did, Ami might blow away!"

"Hey! I would not!"

"Yes you would. You're too light for your own good!"

"Eh?!" Ami looks confused... haha! "I-I don't know whether that's an insult or a compliment..."

"Coming from Chester, it's most likely an insult," says the half elf.

"Why you...! Not everything I say is an insult!"

"Really? You sure had me fooled!"

"You're the only one I never compliment!"

"Wha?! Hey! Why not?!"

"Because you're annoying and loud! There's nothing I _could_ compliment you for!"

"What did you say?! It's not _my_ fault you're a thick-headed moron!"

"And it's not my fault you're a loud-mouthed ditz!"

"Chester, Arche, if we don't keep moving, we'll never make it to the next city by night," Cless points out.

Oh yeah, it is getting pretty late, isn't it?

"He started it," accuses Arche.

"I did not!"

"Chester! Arche!"

"Keh... whatever, let's just hurry." I start walking faster, and the others quickly catch up with me. I want to ask Dad more about what's bothering him... Keh, if he won't answer me alone, I doubt he'd answer in front of everyone... "Hey, Milard, can I have another meat bun?"

"Eh? You're still hungry, Chester-kun?" She hands me one anyway.

"Yeah... I guess I didn't get enough breakfast or something. Plus, these things are good!" I happily begin eating. These are really good! I feel like I could eat a million of them!

Huh... usually Dad's up near the front. I glance back; he's not far behind me, lost in thought again. Ami's walking next to him, quiet. From the looks of it, she hasn't figured out what's bothering him, either...

We reach the base of some cliffs. They're to our right... This would be part of the Valhalla Plains in our time, right? "Hey, Milard, do you know where the next city is?"

"I think there's one about where Midgard is... We're about half way there." We reach a break in the cliffs, where there's a hill that leads upwards.

I smell something—people. "We're not alone out here..."

A group of ten surrounds us. Bandits, from the looks of it...

"Half elves..." I hear Arche mutter.

"Hey, who are you?!"

"We're just travelers. We'd appreciate it if you'd let us peacefully continue through," Cless speaks up.

"Most of you are humans... and two daemons! You're imprisoning that half elf girl, aren't you?!"

"Wha?! No!"

"Hey, these are my friends!" Arche tells them, her hands on her hips. "And there are no daemons among us—just an angel."

"So then they're tricking you... Don't worry, my cute little half elf, we'll free you from them!" the leader, a male, says. Keh...! I hate idiots like him!

They attack—half of them charge in with weapons while the other half begin charging up for spells. We do the same—Cless, Suzu, Ami, and Dhaos meet the fighters while I take aim, an arrow notched on my bow. I shoot—it hits one of the two half elves that Cless is fighting.

"Sharpness!"

"Dragon Surge!" Ami swings up with her hammer, knocking her enemy up into the air. Nice...!

"Chester, use Piercing Line!" Arche calls out.

"Got it!" I take aim on the closest fighter, who's lined up with a mage. I charge energy into the arrow... I'm ready.

"Piercing Light!" As I release the arrow, light erupts over the enemies—a beam hits my arrow, charging light energy into it.

It's bright... very bright...

"I summon thee... Come, Aska!"

The bird flies through, accompanied by replicas. Light energy hits the bandits.

"Power Seal!"

"Barrier!"

"Flare Blitz!"

Too bright... I can barely see...

"Dragon Blast!"

I notch three arrows on my bow and aim at the group of mages in the back. I charge dark energy into the arrows... "Glimmer Shot!" It sweeps them up, interrupting their spells.

"Power Rush!" Milard and Suzu team up—Suzu attacks an enemy, while Milard uses a seal on him. The enemy falls... we're almost done with this battle!

"Nurse!"

Huh... I guess I got hurt somewhere in there. I didn't even notice 'til now...

Dhaos punches the last one, sending her flying through the air. They're all worn out—there's no way they can fight us any more. We wait for the leader to struggle to his feet.

"Damn you humans..." he mutters, using his sword to balance himself. "You and your magitech... have you come here to finish off the unicorn?!"

"The unicorn?!"

"You mean it really exists?!" I can't believe it...!

"It won't last much longer," says one of the females. "Both the unicorn and the fairies are dying because of the magitech... The loss of mana is too great for those beings that survive off of it."

"...If there's a way to heal the unicorn, I'll do it!" Mint says. "Please, I don't want the unicorn to die... It's a symbol of all of us healers! So if it needs more power..."

"Only maidens with a pure heart can visit the unicorn. Do you claim to have a pure heart?" demands the leader, sounding amused.

"Um, well..."

"Hey, that's unfair! Mint's the kindest girl there is!" argues Mint's best friend. "Her being human doesn't make a difference!"

"I wanna see the unicorn and fairies, too!" cheers my kid sister. Keh, that's no fair... how come she can go see it and I can't?!

"Fine, we'll take you human girls, but only if the half elf one comes as well," says one of the female bandits.

"M-me as well?"

"I... think there might be a flaw in your plans. Arche-chan... well..."

"Arche's the least pure girl there is!" I input for the meerkat. "Ow!" Keh, the stupid witch stomped on my foot...!

"You shouldn't say such rude things when you're the cause!"

"I am not! Nothing's happened, you got that?! Besides, you were like that _before_ we met!"

"So says the dirty minded devil!"

"What was that, you obnoxious brat?!"

"Uh... we'll just... take the humans... Come on..." The female half elves lead the way, followed by Mint, Milard, and Ami. Huh? Not Suzu...?

I turn to the ninja. "Why aren't you going?"

"I have no right to go."

"Hold it! You're too young to have done things like _that_!"

The sparrow glares at me. "Nothing like that." Wait, she knows what I'm talking about?! "But I... I've killed humans before. I doubt the unicorn would want to see me..."

"O-oh..." She seems kinda down about it... I'm curious, but it'd probably be best not to pry. Still... I wonder what happened...

The half elf party stares at us, considering what to say. "So... Miss half elf..."

"My name's Arche!"

"Arche-chan. My name is Nectar Helson," the leader says with a bow. "You said something earlier about an angel...?"

"Yep! Dhaos is one! Dhaos, show him your wings!"

"I have no reason to," the snake says coldly.

"Your mana is very strange... I wasn't sure if you were a daemon, but I didn't know what else you would be. Sorry about that!"

"You said you sensed two daemons?" inquires the steed. "That's what the gremlins said as well..."

"That boy..." Nectar points to me. "The mana coming from him is strange as well!"

"That's because I have some strange curse that changes my mana." Keh, I really don't like this guy!

"That's it? Nothing else?"

"That's right!"

"I've never heard of such a thing," he challenges.

"Well it happened!"

"...No... I agree," Dad finally speaks up. Eh?! "Any curse that has enough power to change a person's mana takes some sort of toll on their body... It's a dangerous thing." He pauses.

"...I'll be fine."

"Chester, don't just brush it off... I'm sure there's a reason only one of nine has survived more than a month from this disease," my best friend points out.

"A month, huh...?" I hear my father mutter, too low for the others to hear. "Yes, that _does_ sound accurate... no wonder..."

He knows what it is...! But why hasn't he told me?! What's... what's going on?!

"Chester, how are you feeling today?" the tiger questions.

"Hungry..."

"Geez, if you keep eating so much today, you'll get fat!" taunts Arche.

"Shut it!"

"Besides that," my father speaks up over us.

How I feel...

It's coming... I can feel its pressure—it's stronger now, whatever it is...

"There's... something coming. I don't know what, but something... something big... is going to happen soon."

"How soon?!" Eh?! What's he so worried about?!

"Eh? Klarth-san, what's wrong?"

"I'm not sure... Tonight, I think."

"Tonight... Why didn't I realize it sooner?! We don't have any time!" He's really worried about something...!

"Klarth-san, what's going on? What is it?"

"Never mind that right now—we need to get the girls and hurry away from here right away!" Dad orders.

"Why, what's going on?" Nectar questions. "Is something coming here?!"

"Not quite... You'll be safe here. We have to go, though. Let's get the girls!" Dad starts walking quickly up the hill, and we follow him.

There's a forest ahead with a large lake... ah! The girls are running over to us. "Klarth-san!"

"Did something happen?"

"The unicorn... the unicorn won't last much longer," Mint informs us, distressed. "We need Undine... it's the only way to protect the unicorn!"

"Hold on, slow down a little. What are you planning?" Dad questions. I thought we were in a hurry...

A fairy flies over. Wow...! This is my first time seeing a real fairy! It's so tiny... I can barely make out how she looks! She's a pretty little fairy, though... from what I can tell. A few more fairies follow her. They're all girls...

"We're almost out of mana, but the unicorn needs to stay longer..." the first fairy says. "It can help cure the strange disease that that nice half elf has."

"Nice half elf?"

"Yeah. Martel Yggdrasil."

"What?! Martel's sick?!" Is that how she dies?!

"Yeah. The unicorn can help cure her, though, and other people... Please save him!"

"How?"

"If you put him in a mana bubble, that'll help sustain him... and he'll be safe from people under the water of Lake Umacy."

"We're looking for Martel anyway, so we can bring her here when we find her," Milard points out.

"Plus her brother Mithos will be able to get the unicorn out no problem!" the fairy cheers happily. "So please save the unicorn..."

Dad nods. "Understood." He opens his summoning book and closes his eyes as he begins concentrating. A green magic circle appears under him and wind swirls around... the wind's already violent enough around here! "I, Klarth F. Lester, summon thee by the right of our pact... Come, Undine!"

From his Aquamarine Ring sprouts water that transforms into a girl. The summon spirit...

"Undine, please follow them and save the unicorn."

"Very well."

"One more thing... Hurry up, we have to leave her as soon as you're done."

"Right, we'll be back shortly!" Mint says as the girls and Undine run off. I want to see the unicorn... It's because of the unicorn's power that I'm alive now, right?

They really don't take long... well, the half elf girls stay a little longer, but our party hurries back.

"Why do we have to leave so soon?" complains my sister.

"I'll explain later. Let's just go! Nectar, we'll probably be back with Martel later."

"Right! We'll guard the unicorn and the fairies with our lives!" promises the half elf. "See ya later!"

We wave to the half elves before hurrying off, Dad leading the way. I wonder where we're going...

The sun's setting. It's almost night. It's almost time...

I feel really... "Hungry..."

"We'll make dinner as soon as we stop," promises Milard, who's walking next to me. "Would you like a meat bun in the meantime?"

"Yeah." She hands me one, and I eat it as we walk. This won't be enough... I'm really hungry for some reason...

Dad finally stops. We're in the middle of a forest... I hear wildlife around, but nothing else. "This should be good..."

"Klarth-san, what was that about? What's going on?" questions Cless.

"Mint, Milard, can you two get dinner together quickly? Something big. Meat, preferably. No wait, definitely meat."

"That's going to take a while."

"Cless, come help me get some wood."

"Huh? Okay..." They start walking off.

"I'll help, too!" I hurry after them. What on Aselia's going on around here?! Whatever it is, I don't like it!

"Oh... right. Chester, why don't you start over there?" Dad suggests, pointing.

"All right." I start walking that way.

Something's coming... something big...

No...

It's here. It's...

"Klarth-san, _watch out!_"

**Klarth gained the title of Troubled Mind. Something's bothering him... but what?**

**Chester gained the title of Worried Son. Our father's problems are our problems as well... I hope everything's okay!**

**Mint gained the title of Kindest Maiden. It is a title given to a pure maiden who sincerely wants to help others.**

**Arche has received**** the disgraceful title of Impure****Woman****. Because of her actions with men, the unicorn refuses to see her.**

**Ami learned Dragon Surge.**

**Dhaos learned Dragon Blast.**


	48. Lycanthrope

**And here it is! The chapter you've (hopefully) all been waiting for! ****You finally get to find out what Chester's disease is! And I even ****threw in**** a small explanation to the hints! ****Aren't I nice? ****A****lso, I hit page 400 with this chapter! Yay!**

**Anyway, titles for the game thingy awarded at the end!**

**Please enjoy the chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Tales of games. They are owned by Namco.**

**--Lycanthrope--**

"I want to see them... I want to see them again..."

That voice... I recognize it... Merilynn?

I open my eyes—I'm suddenly in Merilynn's room, but I don't see her. Where is she...?

I hear something on the other side of the window. I hurry over and look down—Merilynn's climbing down the wall, towards the snowy ground below her. She stares up at me, surprised. "Chester..."

"Sneaking out, eh? You're a bad kid!"

"Quiet! I don't want anyone to find me!" she yells.

"Aren't _you_ the one being loud here...?"

"Shut up!"

I hear people moving around. She'll get caught sneaking out at this rate...! "They're coming!" I offer a hand.

"I know, I hear them!" She grabs it and I pull her back up, into the room. She glances out the window and waves down—I guess there's someone looking up.

"Bad luck...! I guess they were expecting something like this!"

"Oh no, it's not just because you're loud," I mutter sarcastically. "Why were you trying to escape, anyway?"

"Because I want to see my friends again..."

Eh? "You mean Kalinthra, Sauound, and that other one?"

"That's right! After the accident that day... they won't let me see my friends..." mutters the young girl. So they're all okay... that's good. "They're the only humans—and elf—besides you that I ever talk to..."

Eh? The only... humans?

"I have to see them again... so I'm sneaking out!" she declares.

"Reckless..."

"Besides, today's special—I really wanna see them today!"

Eh? "Why? What's today?"

"Today's my eleventh birthday!" the princess cheers happily.

"Wow, I didn't realize! I don't have anything for you, though..."

"Help me reach my friends, then! That'll be more than enough of a birthday present!"

Well, I have good senses... so I should be able to help her pretty well! "All right. How do we get out of here—and _don't_ say climbing."

"Aww, I really wanted to try doing that..."

"You almost got caught."

"Fine... This way, then!" She runs to the door and opens it up, and I quickly follow her.

"Hey, slow down! Do you want to get caught?!" Keh, she's so careless!

"I run through the halls all the time! So come on!" She knows her way really well—we make it to a set of stairs in no time, which she hurries down. Today's her birthday, huh...

"Hey, Merilynn, have the people here already celebrated your birthday? You don't want to miss that, right?"

The princess stops dead in her tracks. "I don't think... they even remember. None of the servants or guards ever talk to me, and I haven't seen Mommy or Daddy in so long..." She seems really upset... and kinda angry... not that I can blame her... "The people who care about me are my friends! I want to see them today, no matter what!" She begins storming off again. Geez, I didn't mean to make her so mad!

"Hey, wait up!" I catch up with her; we keep going down the stairs until we reach the bottom level. Merilynn then continues leading the way through the dark halls. I haven't seen many people around...

"We have to get to the magitech facility. They have a transport machine there, which is how I usually reach my friends... Come on, this should be a short cut!"

"Wait, _should_? Merilynn, do you know where you're going?"

"Well, I've never gone this way... but it should work, so come on!" Should, eh... She's kinda like Arche, yet... somehow very different...

We enter an empty study; Merilynn runs over to the window and tries lifting it up. Heh, she's not strong enough... I walk over and help her. "Oh come on, it's not _that_ heavy," I taunt as I raise it up more than enough for both of us to get out.

"Oh shut up! You're bigger than me!" She climbs out, into the white snow. I follow her.

There are lots of stones around—wait, a graveyard?!

"I wonder what all of these polished stones are for..." mumbles the little girl. She... doesn't know?! Has she never seen a graveyard before...?

"Hey look, there's writing on them!" she cheers as she runs over to one of the stones. "Hm... Someone's name? I don't recognize it..." She moves on to the next one. She doesn't realize what this means... she doesn't realize that all of the stones represent a dead person...

"Hey! Chester, come quick!"

What'd she find?! I run over to her.

She points at one of the stones. It reads, "Teresa of Fenrir. December 12th, 2510 to August 4th, 2540."

"That's Mommy's name," Merilynn says. "What's her name doing on this stone...?"

Her mom's... _"I don't know where she is... I've searched all over the castle, but... Maybe I've always been in the wrong place at the wrong time..."_ Her mom's dead...! And Merilynn doesn't even realize it—no one's told her! Merilynn thinks that her mom's still alive...!

"Oh wow!" She has her eyes on another stone now. "This one has my name—and today's date!" What?! I stare at the stone: "Merilynn of Fenrir. July 21st, 2530 to July 21st, 2541." Today... why is her name even on one of these...?! "I wonder if it's part of my birthday present? Hm... seems kinda boring..."

Her... birthday present... Oh my... What in Martel's name is going on here?! Are they...

Are they planning on killing Merilynn?!

Why those...! I'm going to find that king and give him a piece of my mind! "Merilynn, stay here!" I run back into the castle, grabbing my bow from my back and pulling an arrow from my quiver. I'm not about to let anyone stop me...!

The castle's pretty big, but it doesn't take me long to find the main hall—it's the biggest, after all. And it leads straight to the throne room... I push open the door and storm in.

There he is... the king. He looks to be in his thirties, with black hair that's starting to gray. He's wearing fancy, yet still warm, clothes with gold jewels. "Who are you?!" he demands as the guards pull out their weapons.

"You're the king?! You're Merilynn's father?!"

"How do you know about Merilynn...?!"

"I'm her friend!" I yell. "What the heck are you planning—why is her name on a grave stone?!"

His face is covered in astonishment. "You..."

"That's right, I saw it! You got a problem with that?!"

"You have no right to even be here! Nor do you have any right to question my actions!"

"So you really _are_ planning on killing her...! You disgust me..." I don't believe this... "Merilynn's been _suffering_ this whole time! She wants to see you, but you only get mad at her when she tries! She's sick and lonely—she needs company! And no one even told her that her mom's passed away...!"

"What do you know about Merilynn?!"

"Obviously a lot more than you! Haven't you been listening?! Your daughter _needs_ you!"

"Merilynn's a danger to all of those around her! It's for the best of the country that she dies!"

"You selfish little...!" The guards hold swords out, keeping me from advancing. "Don't you care about your daughter?!"

"Of course I do!" the king yells, pain in his voice. Keh, if he thinks I'm going to let him go just because he _sounds_ sad, he has another thing coming! "I love her... I love Merilynn so much! She's such a sweet, cheerful girl... I love watching her play, I love it when she's _happy_! When she's running around and playing joyfully... It's been hard on me... but... this is for the best... She has to die, for everyone... So I will at least make it painless for her, so that she dies just as happily as she lived..."

I hate this man! "How can you do that to her?! If you love her, then why kill her?!"

"Did you take a look at that section her name's in...?" Eh? Let's see... Ah, now that I think back to it, the graves with her and her mother's name were in a medium sized group, separate from the rest! "All of those people... were killed by the same thing."

"What, you?!"

"No! They were killed... by Merilynn."

What?! But she... "What do you mean? Merilynn's innocent—she doesn't even know that her mother's dead! There's no way she could've..."

"That's right... Merilynn doesn't know. She's such a sweet, innocent kid... and she doesn't know a thing..." mutters the king. There are tears in his eyes... he's fighting not to cry... "She killed her mother... yet she doesn't even know what she's done! She doesn't have any memory of it... she doesn't realize how dangerous she is!"

"But how...?!"

"It's because of her sickness."

Eh? That seems odd... "Well isn't there a cure?! Couldn't you just cure her instead of killing her?!"

"Don't you think we've _tried_ that?! We've searched all over—I've offered _everything_ just to get a cure for her! But there is none... there is no cure!"

"So that's it, huh?! You're just going to kill that little girl?! You're so selfish...!"

"Selfish? What do you know...?" the king questions. "You don't know what it's like to watch as the woman you love is killed by your own daughter! Yet Merilynn is innocent—she has no idea!"

Wait, that smell... Merilynn?! How long... oh no! I spin around, and Merilynn pokes her head around the corner, clutching the wall. She's crying...!

"Merilynn!"

"Daddy? Is it... true? Did I really... kill Mommy?"

"Merilynn, you..."

"And... are you really... gonna kill me...?"

The man behind me gasps. "M-Merilynn, hold on, it's..."

"I don't believe it... I won't believe it!" That energy... magic?! How can Merilynn use magic...?! Her power's uncontrollable—it's exploding around us—

I jump up—huh? I'm in a forest... Oh right! I must be back at my friends...

Eh? I smell... blood?!

"Milard, how do you feel...?" I glance over, where everyone's surrounding the meerkat. Milard's leaning against a tree and... oh my... there's blood all over the right shoulder of her torn clothes...! There are bandages there, but they're so red that it's hard to tell...

"Milard-san, are you sure you don't want me to heal it...?"

"Not yet. We should visit Cathy first, right?"

I stand up, moving the blanket off of me. Huh, it's morning... when did I go to sleep? I walk over to them.

"What happened? Are you okay, Milard?!"

"Ah, Chester-kun... you're up."

"That's _not_ an answer!"

"I'm fine. Thank you for your concern, Chester-kun," the meerkat says with a smile. No one else says a word... She pauses as well. This silence... it feels really uneasy for some reason... "Chester-kun... do you not remember anything... from last night?"

"No...? What happened? Were we attacked?"

"...Yeah, we were," my best friend speaks up.

"That daemon knows curses... so we need to take Milard to Cathy," Dad explains. "I'll get the Eternal Sword for you, Cless..."

"R-right!"

As Dad begins summoning, I stare at Milard's injury. That wound... it looks like something bit her...! "Hey, when did I fall asleep? Did I get knocked out or something?"

"Y-yeah... It all happened so fast, so..."

"Sorry... Did anyone else get hurt?"

"No, we all managed to... um, chase it off."

What's Cless trying to hide? He seems nervous for some reason... "What was it?"

"A... a wyvern."

A wyvern... I forgot how those look... Don't they fly?

"I summon thee... Origin!"

There's a flash of light above the swordsman, and the Eternal Sword slowly lowers into his hand. He holds it up and it begins shining. "O powerful and mighty Sword of Time, take us to Euclid in the year 4304!"

A blue light surrounds us as we teleport through time and space. When it disappears, we're standing in front of Sardon's house, early in the morning. Dad hurries over to the door and begins rapping on it; we wait in an uneasy silence for someone to answer.

Sardon sleepily opens the door, rubbing his eyes. "Wha'd'ya want so morning in the early...?"

"Sardon, Milard's hurt. We need you to check for curses."

"Huh...?" He takes a few minutes to process this. "...Klarth-san! What are you doing here?!"

"It took you _that long_ to realize who's standing before you? Geez you're slow!" I tell him.

"Come in!" Sardon moves out of the way, and we all walk inside. Milard sits down on a dining room chair while the rest of us stand. Sardon walks over to Milard and inspects her wound. "Klarth-san, was it _that_?"

"...Yeah. It was."

"Hm... Okay, I _should_ be able to do this without Cathy..."

"Sardon, go get Cathy."

"But—"

"_Now_."

"Aww, okay..." Sardon hurries off into another room—I guess their bedroom? "Cathy!"

The rest of us wait in a very uncomfortable silence. What's everyone so nervous about? What happened last night...?

Cathy walks in, followed by her husband. "I'm sorry to make you wait."

"No, please forgive us for barging in so early," says the meerkat. Cathy walks over to her and begins taking off the bandages that cover her wound. That looks terrible...! The blood is all over her shoulder, and the teeth marks look pretty deep...! How did she get hurt so badly?!

"Sardon, here. Test that, please..." Cathy hands him some of the old bandages.

"Right-o!" This time he runs down the stairs that lead to his basement. Meanwhile, Cathy begins washing the wound with water to get rid of the blood.

"Milard-san..."

"Ah, right. It should be fine if you heal now, Mint-chan."

"Right! ...Cure!" The holes get smaller. It didn't heal it completely, but it got the worst of it...

"Thank you, Mint-chan," says Milard. "The rest will heal with time."

"Are you sure it's all right...?"

"Yes."

After a pause, the cleric begins helping the doctor with cleaning and rewrapping Milard's wound.

Sardon returns, and everyone silently stares at him, anxious. The researcher grins and holds a thumbs-up. "Milard-san... is completely normal! Not even a hint of curse or... other things!"

Everyone breathes easily. "Yay! Milard-san's fine!"

"Thank goodness..."

"I'm glad."

"Milard..." Dad walks over to her and pulls her into a hug. "I'm glad... I'm so glad that you're all right..."

"K-Klarth!" He lets go and slowly moves away, a smile on his face. He then notices all of us grinning at him.

"W-what are you looking at?!"

"Oh nothing!" taunts the half elf. "Just thinking how cute you and Milard are!"

They both turn red. "N-now hold on, we're just friends!"

"But you just hugged!"

"There's nothing wrong with old friends hugging."

"I wasn't saying that it was _wrong_, per se..."

"Arche, you _know_ what I mean. Stop twisting things."

"Aww, you're not fun, Klarth-sensei..." mutters Arche. "And poor, poor Milard..."

"Arche-chan, it's just as he says," the woman speaks up. "We've been best friends for a long time. Nothing more."

"All that time and not even one date? You two are too slow!" I tease.

"Chester..."

No one argues—instead, they fall silent again. Wha?! What's going on here?! Are they _all_ hiding something from me?! I glance down at Ami, who's standing next to Milard.

"Hey, Ami..." She jumps when I call her name and looks up at me with nervous eyes. Huh?! What's... what's... "Ami, is something wrong?"

"Um... N-no! Heehee, everything's perfectly fine!"

"Liar."

"I-I am not!" Even Ami... even my sister's hiding something from me... What on Aselia's going on here?!

"Cless..."

"W-what?"

Everyone... my best friend, too... The only one that's different is Dhaos, and he's watching me with calculating eyes... Keh, I hate him! "Can I talk to you?"

"Um, sure..." Cless and I walk outside, closing the door behind us. "Something wrong, Chester...?"

"What are all of you hiding from me?"

"What are you talking about? We're not—"

"Don't lie! You're all nervous about something—what?! What happened?!"

_"Chester-kun... do you not remember anything... from last night?"_

"What happened last night, Cless...? I wasn't knocked out, right? So what happened, and why don't I remember it...? And you better not lie!"

"Chester..." He pauses, considering his words. "...Don't lose yourself..."

What? "What are you talking about, Cless...?"

"...Chester, it's because we worry about you that we haven't told you yet... So please, just trust us..."

"I can't just leave it like that, not when you're all so nervous about something!"

"Don't worry. We'll find a way to fix it!" my best friend tells me with a smile. "Come on, let's go inside..." He walks back in. Fix _what_?! What's going on?! Keh...

I follow him inside.

It's still quiet... everyone's thinking about something. Most aren't looking at me—the only one who is is Dhaos, and he's glaring at me like he doesn't trust me. Keh...!

Okay, I don't like this silence... I need some way to loosen up the atmosphere... Arche, she's perfect! "What's wrong with you, Miss Loud Mouth? It's not like you to be so quiet!"

"I'm not a loud mouth!"

Eh? She's not going to call me something back...? I don't like this... I don't like this at all! "Oh? Have you stopped your crazy ramblings, then?"

"Chester-kun, stop trying to pick a fight."

Arche says nothing—she doesn't even try arguing back, she just stands there and stares at the floor. What's going on?! Arche...

"Dammit... What the heck are you all hiding from me?! If you'd just tell me instead of being so damn quiet, I wouldn't have to try to force it out of someone! What the heck's going on around here?!"

"Chester, calm down!" Dad calls out.

"You're the first one to start acting like this! What happened last night?! Tell me the truth!"

They all pause, the silence even more uneasy than before. Keh... they're not going to tell me...

"It's just the same." That voice... Fenrir?! I spin around—she just walked in. Everyone prepares their weapons. "Now now, I'm not here to fight... just to take what's rightfully mine."

"What do you mean?!" demands Cless.

"I'm here to take the Eternal Sword... and the member of my pack."

"We won't let you have either of them!"

"Huh? Hey Cless, what's she talking about?" I question. I can kinda understand the Eternal Sword one, but...

"As I said... it's just the same. The way humans treat us... it's always the same," mutters Fenrir.

"What do you mean?"

"First they hide the truth and lie... They say it's just a normal disease or curse, yet don't say a thing when they realize what it _really_ is. Then they grow scared... they fear for themselves above all else, and they only wish to protect themselves. Because of their fear of you, they'll inevitably lock you up—they'll keep you away from other people."

_"Daddy won't let me see anyone... I'm lonely most of the time... The doctors say I'm sick..."_

"No... you're lying!" Cless yells.

"Then, in the midst of all of their lies, they'll find a way to lock you up every night with some pitiful excuse. I bet they're already thinking about that now..."

_"You can't get out...__ It's to keep me from sneaking out at night. They'll take it down soon... before when I usually wake up."_

"After that, they'll search desperately for a cure, keeping you in the dark the whole time... until they realize the same thing as everyone else: there is no cure."

_"We've searched all over—I've offered _everything_ just to get a cure for __her! But there is none... there i__s no cure!"_

"And once they realize that..." Fenrir says, "...they'll fear for their own safety... And because of their selfish fear, they'll try to kill you."

_"Merilynn's a danger to all of those around her! It's for the best of the country that she dies!"_

"You're wrong! We'd never do that!" yells the swordsman.

"Really? You've already started down that path... You've already turned against Chester."

"We have not!"

"Oh? Why don't you go ahead and tell him the truth, then?"

Everyone pauses, and the room falls silent again. What's... "What truth? What's going on here? ...Dad? Cless?"

Neither of them say a word. They're... not telling me...

"You see, Chester..." the goddess speaks up. "You..."

"No, stop!" Huh?! Dad?!

"You, Chester... are a lycanthrope. A werewolf."

"Fenrir!"

What...?! "What are you..." No, that can't be... "You're... You're lying! I'm human! I'm not a..."

"You've already changed into your wolf form once," she says calmly.

"Dammit, no I haven't! I'm a normal human! Besides, I would know if something crazy like that happened, and last night was... was..." Wait a second... Last night... was the full moon! Oh my...

"Chester, calm down!"

"D-Dad... I'm not... I'm not a werewolf, right...? I... I just got knocked out last night... right?" Say yes... just say yes!

He pauses, staring at the ground. No... this...

"I'm sorry..."

"No... Dammit! This isn't right—this can't be right! This is... just some crazy dream or something... I'm human..."

"Oh come now, how long are you going to lie to yourself?" questions Fenrir. "It all makes perfect sense, doesn't it? Your senses have gotten better—as good as a wolf's. You can't eat fruits or vegetables any more, and instead you eat only meats... You can feel the power of the moon, and tell where it is in its cycle. You have a weakness to aconite, also known as wolfsbane... Not to mention that Klarth's touch hurts you. Haven't you wondered about that one? What do you think... his pact rings are made of?" She pauses, as if expecting an answer. "They're pure silver..."

"No... you're wrong..."

"Am I? Doesn't it make sense?"

It does... "Dammit! There's no way I could've... How could I have even _become_ a..."

"Oh come on, did you already forget about your death a while ago?"

My death...

Fenrir... Fenrir killed me... by biting me... Fenrir turned me into...! "Damn you...!" I charge at her—keh, she's too quick! She steps to the side, avoiding my attack.

She smiles, as if _happy_ about this. "You'll change again tonight you know... and every night, forever... and ever. You'll always transform into a wolf..."

"No...!"

"I can help you control it, Chester... so you won't have to hurt your friends..."

Eh? "What do you..."

"Demon Fang!" A blast of energy hits the wolf, and my companions run over to me, standing between me and Fenrir. "Chester, don't listen to her! She's just trying to trick you into joining her!"

"Oh? So then what are you going to do when night rolls around?" Fenrir questions. "Well, I guess I'll let you think about it some... See you later, Chester!" She transforms into her wolf form and runs off.

A wolf... a werewolf...

"Chester..."

"...I'm the one... that attacked you last night, aren't I...?" Last night was the full moon... and they even asked me if I remembered anything! They were trying to see if I remembered being a... if I remembered...

_"She killed her mother... yet she doesn't even know what she's done! She doesn't have any memory of it... she doesn't realize how dangerous she is!"_

None of them answer. I stare at each of them, one at a time. Mint, Milard, Ami, Cathy, Dad, Cless, Sardon, Arche, Suzu, Dhaos...

"...Yes, you did," answers the angel.

"Dhaos...!"

"What? Do you wish to lie? Wouldn't that be proving the goddess right?" Dhaos points out.

"Ah..."

"...I'm the one... that hurt Milard..." The bite marks, the test to see if there was a curse... those were because of me... I hurt her...

_"You don't know what it's like to watch as the woman you love is killed by your own daughter!"_

What if I... had? What if I had killed her... What would Dad have done...? It would've been the same situation... And what if I hurt them tonight?! What if I turn one of them into a... No, I...

"Idiots... you're all idiots!" Why... what the heck were they planning on doing?! "Why didn't you say something—why are keeping me around after knowing this?! Do you _want_ to die?!"

"Hold on, Chester—"

"Shut it! I don't want to hear your excuses! The fact is that I'm... I'm... Damn it all!" I can't stay around them—they'll only get hurt. Our journey's already dangerous enough... I turn and run to the door.

"Chester, wait!"

"If you come after me, I swear I'll kill you!" I run out and release a Rheaird from the wing pack. I have to get away... I have to! Before any more of them get hurt... I don't want to hurt my friends! I jump on it and quickly start flying. I can still hear them calling after me... Don't chase me. Just keep going... there's too much to do...

_"You, Chester... are a lycanthrope. __A werewolf."_

No... Why couldn't they have just denied her claims?! I'm... I'm supposed to be a normal human... I _want_ to be a normal human...

I hurt Milard. I attacked them last night... and Milard got hurt. Sardon said that she's not... cursed, right...? I really hope she isn't...

And the things that Fenrir was saying... they reminded me... of what happened to Merilynn... So was Merilynn a werewolf as well? But she's so young...! Dammit, none of this is right!

There's a snowy town ahead... is that Friezkiel? That's where Merilynn's from... I'm hungry, so I'll stop there for a bite to eat. As long as I leave by nightfall, it'll be fine...

By nightfall... Will I really... be incontrollable... every night...?

I land just outside of the city and walk in. I want something with meat...

_"You can't eat fruits or vegetables any more, and instead you eat only meats...__"_

Maybe I should get something with fruits instead... Then again, considering how fruits and vegetables taste to me now, I don't know if I could keep them down if I tried... Keh...! Why does she have to be right?!

Wait a second... I didn't bring any money. Oh well... I can go without food for a little while... I'll just fight some daemons around the city...

Some daemons... I'm not human anymore... I look human, I _feel_ human, but...

I'm not... I'm...

I'm a werewolf... I'm a daemon, aren't I...?

**Ami gained the title of Terrible Liar. I'm not lying... really!**

**Chester gained the title of Lycanthrope. It is a title given**** to one who turns into a wolf on**** the**** night of the**** full moon.**

**Starry-chan gained the title of Expert Werewolf Hunter. It doesn't take her long to spot a werewolf! It is a title given to one who identified not just one, but **_**two**_** werewolves.**

**Darkangel**** gained the title of Symphonia Doctor. It is a title given to one who correctly identified the correlation between Chester's disease and Angel Toxicosis.**


	49. Bonus Chapter: Ninja Skeleton

**Thank you, Starry-chan, for this idea!**

**Okay, for the rest of you, some background: This random idea started when Starry-chan emailed me, questioning me what my muses (most of them are ****ToP**** characters) would dress up as for Halloween. So here's the answer to that!**** Sorry about posting it so late... ****You had to see Chester's disease before I could post it on here. So now that it's up, please enjoy it!**

**Also, this bonus chapter is from Suzu-chan's point of view! It's set at some random point during their time travels!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of Phantasia. It is owned by Namco.**

**--****Ninja Skeleton****--**

"It's a full moon tonight," Chester informs us as he stares up at the orange sky. The sun's already setting...

"What day is it?" questions Milard.

"With how much we've time-hopped, there's no telling!"

"Do you think maybe Origin knows? He has magic with time and space, right?" the Eternal Swordsman points out.

"It shouldn't matter that much, but I'll find out..." We pause and wait. I don't know why we stopped... he's only talking to Origin.

Sensei's mouth suddenly curves into a mischievous grin. "Oh you'll _never_ believe this..."

"What is it, Klarth-sensei?" Arche asks, floating closer on her broom. "Is today a special day?"

"Why yes. Today is the day for ghouls and gremlins alike! It is the day of celebrating the horror of daemons!"

We all glance at Chester.

"Hey, don't look at me! I don't know what's going on!"

"Sensei, none of us are scared of daemons or ghosts," I point out.

"_I mean_," Sensei speaks up, "that today is All Hollow's Eve. Halloween."

"So how should we celebrate?" questions Ami. "Should we just get rid of some daemons?"

"Oh oh! I know! How about the blue haired archer one?" the witch cheers, raising her hand up in the air.

"Why you...! I'm going to make you pay for saying that!"

"No you won't! Stu-pid!"

"I am not, you obnoxious brat!" Chester and Arche are at it again... They tend to argue a lot. I don't understand why... Sensei once said that it's because they love each other, but... I don't understand that. I only fight people I hate, not my allies, and I don't waste it with pointless word games.

"Jerkface!"

"Dolt!"

"Irritating man!"

"Noisy girl!"

"All right you two, enough of that. And let's not do anything to Chester—or his kind, since it's his night tonight," Sensei suggests. "Let's just rest tonight. Maybe we can play a game of You Might be a Werewolf!"

"That is _not_ funny!"

"Haha, I'll win that one!"

"Technically most of us would win..." Cless points out. I wonder what kind of game it is...

"Shut up!"

"There's a town ahead. Shall we rest there?" offers Milard.

"What town is it?" questions Mint.

Milard pulls out the map, examining it. "We're just past where Lone Valley is in our time... Hm, I don't think this town is there by our era..."

We enter the town. It's a quiet town, with not many shops or houses... The buildings are all kind of dark, but that might be partially because it's turning into night. There are a few people out, but not too many. We check into the inn.

"Welcome to the town of Hamel," the receptionist says. "One room here is 300 gald." Sensei pays for two rooms, and we enter; the boys enter one room, and we girls enter the other.

As soon as I, the last of us, enter the room, Arche slams the door closed and turns to us, her hands on her hips and a playful grin on her face. "So! What are all of you gonna be?"

"What are you talking about?" questions Mint.

"Ah...! It's Halloween!" Ami realizes something... "Heehee, I always dress up for Halloween!"

"Bingo!" says the witch. "And we're going to give the boys _quite_ the surprise! So, what do you all want to be?"

"Arche-chan, we shouldn't—"

"Hm, you'll be the hard one, Mint... We need to make you something vicious. That alone would scare the guys!"

"Eh?!" Mint's face becomes red, and she turns away from us.

"We don't have much time to make anything..." Milard points out.

"Why do you think we're in a town? C'mon, let's go shopping! I already know what I wanna be!"

"I'm not going," I tell them as I sit down on one of the beds. "A ninja has no need to celebrate a holiday." That's right... I've heard of holidays from my time at the Alvanista City College, but I've never celebrated one. Ninjas have no need for them, though—we work on holidays.

...Still... I wonder what it's like to celebrate a holiday...

"Will you go shopping with us, Suzu-chan?" Ami asks innocently. She doesn't understand at all what it means to be a ninja...

"I see no reason to."

"You're coming! We'll need your skills to scare the boys!" declares the witch as she—hey wait!

"Let me go!"

"No! You're coming with us! Let's hurry, so we have time!" Arche leads the way, carrying me under her arm. I try to get free—something so weak shouldn't hold a ninja! But I don't want to hurt Arche...

"Suzu-chan," Milard speaks up. "It's all right. We're scaring the boys with this, right? See it as ninja training."

Ninja training? I guess we'll need to sneak up on the boys... "...All right. But put me down first."

Arche complies, and I stand up straight again. "What do we need to do?"

"Let's go in here! Milard, will you help me pick stuff out?"

"Of course!" Arche and Milard lead the way in, while the other three of us follow, Mint still uneasy about it. Come to think of it, I don't know what Halloween's about... Sensei said it had something to do with daemons, and Ami said something about dressing up... How do those even go together? Why do humans have a holiday for daemons in the first place?

They're buying... clothes? I still don't understand... Arche, Milard, and Ami seem to be having fun with it, though... Mint and I are standing off to the side. I wonder what's so fun about shopping... I've never bothered buying any more than what I need.

"Yeah, that's perfect! We need to get make-up, then!"

"Right. Leave the make-up to me!" Milard says. "You just buy the costumes! Let's meet back at the inn!"

"Okay!" Milard hurries away, while Arche turns to the rest of us. "Come on! We have the perfect outfits for you!"

"Outfits?" I question. "What are the outfits for?"

"Trust us, Suzu-chan! It'll be fun!" cheers Chester's sister. We follow the witch to the counter, where she buys the clothes. I didn't even get to do anything here... Oh well, I'm interested in seeing what they plan on doing with these clothes.

We walk back outside; it's night now. There are a few people outside, all dressed up strangely... and—ah! That girl... a banshee?! I pull out my dagger and charge it with lightning energy.

"Wait, Suzu-chan!" Mint grabs my arm before I can throw the dagger.

"There's a banshee!"

"No, that's just a normal girl!"

Huh...?

"People dress up as monsters or other things on Halloween."

"What do you mean...?"

"You'll see! C'mon!"

I glance at the girl once more. So that's a human girl, and not a banshee...? Why would she dress up like a banshee...?

We enter the inn and hurry to our room. The boys are quiet... _too_ quiet. Are they not in there?

Arche lays the clothes out, sorting through them. Most of the clothes are black... She grabs a set, draping them over her arms, as she walks over to the closet. "Wait here while I get changed real quick!" She enters and closes the door behind her, while the rest of us sit down. Ami excitedly fiddles with the sleeve of the closest outfit, and then she moves over to examine another one.

Milard enters the room, carrying a box of make-up. "Where's Arche-chan?"

"She's changing in the closet," answers the cleric.

The meerkat walks over to the closet door and knocks on it softly. "Arche-chan? I have the make-up—may I come in?"

"Yep! Come on!" comes the reply. Milard enters, leaving the rest of us out here. I wonder what they're doing...

Before long, Arche opens the door and walks out. She's wearing something _completely_ different now... something I never would've expected her to wear. She's dressed in all black, the top layer see-through and flowing down past the rest in points. Her dress goes down to black high heels. The top is low cut, and the whole thing fits her form very nicely. Instead of her normal, light blue earring is instead a pumpkin earring, and on her head is a black witch hat—her hair isn't up in a ponytail right now. She has on a dark, beady necklace and matching bracelets. Her face is very pale, and her lips are covered in a dark red lipstick. Above her eyes is orange eye shadow, and her cheeks are pink... that's all make-up, right? "Who's next?" she asks cheerfully.

"I wanna go!" cheers Ami as she jumps up.

"All right!" Arche hands Ami some clothes, and the girl hurries into the closet.

"Let me know when I should come in with the make-up," Milard calls out behind her.

It doesn't take her long to call Milard and Arche in, leaving Mint and me waiting in complete silence. So is this what Halloween's about? Dressing up as...

The door opens again, and Ami comes out. She's wearing a plain white dress with white slippers on. Her face is also pale, and her hair has white strands of... what is that? It's a string of some sort... Her hair's also not in its usual pigtails, but instead hanging down straight. Under her eyes are spots a little darker... and there are strings that look almost like spider webs over her shoulders. I think she's supposed to be... a ghost?

"How do I look? Pretty neat, huh?"

"You make a cute ghost, Ami-chan!" compliments Mint.

"You're next, Mint!"

"Eh? Me? But I..."

Arche walks over and forcefully turns her best friend towards the closet; Mint's face is completely red now. The half elf shoves her in, throwing the clothes in behind her, and then shuts the door. "Let us know when you're ready for make-up! And don't take too long or we'll come in!"

Are we all supposed to dress up? ...I'm not going to. There is no reason for me to.

"Heehee, this is fun! I can't wait to give the guys a scare—I wonder if any of them scream like girls! I bet Chester does!"

"I doubt you'll get to hear him scream tonight..." mutters Milard.

"O-okay, I-I'm ready..." Mint's voice pipes up, nervous. The two in charge happily enter the closet.

Before too long, the three emerge again.

Mint's wearing a black outfit as well, though hers is more modest than Arche's. Her sleeves are see-through, and she has a black corset with white string over her black dress. Her dress still goes down to her boots—which are now a new set, a pair of black boots—but it flows more. On her head is a hood, and on her back are a pair of wings, though instead of fake feathers, there's a fake skeleton pattern. Her make-up is much like Arche's, only black eye shadow instead. Her normal staff is now wrapped in black cloth—though the white is still very visible.

"All right! Suzu-chan next!"

"I'm not changing," I tell them. "I'm a ninja—that's good enough for me."

"You're changing!"

"No I'm not."

"Come on!" Arche picks me up again and carries me in.

"Put me down!" I protest as I try to fight her—I get free! Oh, but we're in the closet... Milard's in here as well.

"Somehow I didn't think you'd go for this..." Arche says deviously, holding up the outfit for me. "Come on, just because you're a ninja doesn't mean you can't enjoy Halloween!"

"But I..."

"You need to get changed, Suzu-chan," agrees Milard.

"I don't need to."

Both of them slowly advance on me. I back up—there's only wall behind me!

"H-hey, what are you two..."

They grab me.

"Now, Suzu-chan, we can do this the easy way or the hard way... If you get changed on your own, we won't have to make you!"

They'd do it, too... "Fine, but just this once."

"Yay! Here you go!" Arche hands me the clothes, and then she and Milard duck out of the room.

I stare at the black clothes in my hand. They want me to change into this...? What's the point of it? I don't really want to, but... that _was_ kind of scary...

...This is part of Halloween, right? Part of their holiday? I've... never participated in a holiday before... If I change into this, will I be able to experience it as well...? Grandfather always said that understanding another culture is also training... whether it's training to deal with people or to blend in for a mission. Would I be doing that by changing?

Probably. So it's training... to understand their holiday. Maybe it'll become useful knowledge one day...

I change into the outfit. It's different from the others... This one's black, but on it, lined up perfectly with my body, is the pattern of a skeleton. Huh...

I knock on the door to let them know that I'm ready—Arche and Milard soon enter.

"All right! Time to get the make-up done!"

Milard bends down so that she's my level, a paint brush in her hand. She begins painting on my face... what's she drawing? "Close your eyes..." I do as she instructs. Before long, she switches colors—the first one was white, and now she's going with black.

When she's done, Arche holds up a mirror for me to see. Ahh, now I get it... She drew the skeleton pattern on my face as well.

"You make a cute skeleton, Suzu-chan!" the meerkat says.

"Yeah! A ninja skeleton?" Arche agrees with a laugh.

"Oh, I guess I am..." She's right. I silently walk over to the door, and back out to where the other two are waiting. Milard's the only one who hasn't changed yet... She takes the remaining clothes into the closet and changes. When she's ready, Arche goes in to help her with the make-up.

Before long, Milard and Arche come back out.

Milard's wearing a black dress as well, though hers is only one layer. It has long sleeves, but the skirt is tight and stops below her knees but above her black high heels. She's wearing a red shawl now, and her make-up is prominently bright red. There's something different about her teeth... Ah! Vampire teeth?! But how...?!

"Wow, where'd you get the teeth, Milard-san?" questions Ami.

"They were on sale." Huh...? Oh, they're fake teeth...

"You look very nice, Milard-san," compliments the dark angel.

"Oh! I've got it! I have one more thing to add, Milard!" Arche declares as she dips the paint brush in a red paint. She walks over to Milard and starts painting something on her neck... Two dots... Oh, that must be for teeth marks. Vampires become so because they're bitten by other vampires, right? It's similar to—

"Everyone! Come quickly!" Chester's voice calls out as a knock sounds on the door. "Dad suddenly got sick...!"

"EH?!" Everyone rushes out the door, where we find Chester standing in the hallway. His costume seems to be half done, with only fox ears and a fox tail...

"Chester, it's night now, isn't it...?"

"Never mind that! Mint, Milard, you have to hurry!"

"Right!" they chorus, and they lead the way into the boys' room.

Sensei's the only one in there, and he's lying in the bed, a half-done costume on him as well. He's covered up in blankets, though... all I can see is the black hood around his head.

"Klarth...!" Milard exclaims as we hurry over to him. She and Mint immediately begin giving him a check-up.

"Ah...!" Sensei slowly points a finger behind us, looking distressed.

Huh...? There are two dark shadows over us now—we all spin around, my hand on my dagger.

W-what the?! Cless and... Dhaos?! Mint and Ami let out little gasps of surprise.

"C-Cless-san! Dhaos-san! Y-you two surprised me!"

"Is that your costume, Mint? You look very nice!" compliments Cless. He looks even more pale than the rest of us... The top part of his outfit is a dirty white, and it's over where his armor would be—complete with a hood. Fabric hangs down in strings, over a tattered black outfit. His headband is also black... He makes me think of a zombie.

Dhaos' costume is even simpler—he's wearing a black cloak with long, pointy sleeves, complete with a pointy hood, and he's carrying what looks to be a scythe. I wonder what he's supposed to be...

"Hey hey! This isn't fair! We're supposed to be the ones scaring _you_!" complains Arche. "If Klarth-sensei hadn't gotten sick, we would've had a great plan..."

"Uh-huh..." Chester mutters as he leans against the wall by the door. "Idiots... _all_ of you..."

He was getting dressed up, too... We turn back to Sensei.

Huh? There's something touching my legs...! I pull my dagger out and glance down.

Ami lets out a small yelp as she jumps back into Milard's arms, but soon we all realize what it is—Gremlin's Lair. The small, daemon gremlins that all make up one of Sensei's summon spirits are down there, playing around.

Milard turns a glare to the summoner. "So you're sick, huh...?"

"H-hey, don't blame me for that! The gremlins were getting restless since it's Halloween, so I let them out..."

...He's lying. I can tell. I think most of the others can as well... he's trying so hard not to grin. So then...

Did the boys set something up to scare us? So far all of their attempts have failed...

"Liar! You're not sick at all!" accuses the eldest woman.

"But I am!" He lets out a horribly fake cough.

I hear a creak behind us... and a soft growl. A daemon?! I spin around, my dagger ready—the wolf leaps at us!

"Ahh!" We jump out of the way. That wolf...! It's...!

"H-hey, b-but Onii-chan's..."

She's right—Chester's standing by the door, sighing.

Cless and Sensei begin laughing, and the wolf seems to be enjoying this as well. That gray wolf... I _know_ that's him, but...

"What the heck's going on here?! How are there two Chesters?!" demands Arche.

The wolf starts circling around us, acting like we're his prey.

"What wolf is this?"

"It's Chester."

"But Chester's by the door!"

"It's said that werewolves circle their prey when they've got it cornered..." mutters Sensei, an instructive tone in his voice. Cless laughs.

"C-Cless-san!"

"Sorry, Mint!" Cless says, and Sensei begins laughing now.

"This _isn't_ funny, Klarth! And Chester, stop that!" orders Milard. The wolf stops, a pleased look on his face, and sits down between us and the Chester by the door.

"If the wolf is Chester... then who's standing by the door?" I question as I walk over to the wolf.

That person sighs, annoyed. That's _definitely_ not Chester... he'd be having too much fun with this. "Can I return now, Klarth?"

"Oh, right! Thank you, Origin!"

"ORIGIN?!"

"Yes. Summons spirits can appear however they want... so we asked him to take on Chester's appearance!" Sensei explains as the summon spirit melds into his normal form and then disappears into the diamond ring. The summoner then throws the covers off and stands up. "Well, that was our trick... why don't we go get some treats now?"

"I don't know if you deserve any treats..." mutters Milard.

"Oh come on, weren't you girls trying to trick us?"

Chester begins sniffing our new outfits—I guess it's a dog thing... I ignore it. "Treats?"

"Yeah! You see, on Halloween, you dress up as something... then you knock on doors and say 'trick or treat'! And then the people at the house give you candy!" Ami explains.

"Oh... so that's what Halloween's about?"

"Yep! Do you like sweets, Suzu-chan?"

"Well, I—"

There's a loud slap—"Chester, you pervert!" Arche yells. "I don't care if you're a wolf—I'm gonna make you pay for that!"

"Idiot..." mutters Dhaos as Chester bolts out of the room, Arche chasing after him.

"Ah, how nice it is to be young..." mutters Sensei.

"I don't even want to know what you mean by that..." Cless mumbles.

"Klarth, instead of observing, you should be thinking of how to punish your son for something like that!" Milard yells.

"Huh? Oh, right..."

"You're not going to, are you?!"

"I-I never said that!"

"I don't believe you!"

Sensei backs up a little. "Now now, settle down, Milard... you shouldn't ruin that nice costume. Especially since you're a vampire... all they really do is bite." Under his breath, he adds, "Not that I'd mind a little action..."

"_What did you say_?!"

"I didn't say anything!"

"Like father, like son..." murmurs Cless.

"I can't believe them..." Mint agrees, sounding annoyed.

"Now you've done it, Klarth!"

"I... Wait! You're going to step on Gremlin's Lair!"

Milard looks down—Sensei takes this chance to bolt out of the room.

"Klarth, get back here!" The woman chases after him.

"S-so..." mutters Cless after a pause. "Shall we go trick-or-treating?"

"Yeah! I want candy!" Ami cheers as she grabs on to Cless' arm and starts dragging him out. The rest of us calmly follow. So this is Halloween...

I still have a lot to learn about this holiday, but... I want to try it again next year!

**Suzu gained the title of Ninja Skeleton. A dead ninja brought back to life... in a costume! It is one who represents speed and death in a creepy way.**


	50. Pack Newbie

**Sorry for taking so long to update! This one was kinda hard to write up... and I've been busy. I'll try to get the next chapter done faster!**** But it might also take a little while... But I'll be done with finals in a few weeks! And then I'll be able to write a lot faster!**

**Well, please enjoy this chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Tales of games. They are owned by Namco.**

**--****Pack Newbie****--**

It's really cold... I shouldn't stay in the city unless I have to, though... I leave, and walk back out through the thick snow. I need to find a monster...

There's one... It looks sorta like a roper, only its blue... I notch an arrow on my bow and aim at it.

That thing's a daemon... I should be able to kill it, right? But... I'm a daemon, too... I'm... dammit...!

"You ran a long way," Fenrir's voice speaks up from behind me. I spin around to see her standing there, a mischievous grin on her face.

"What do you want?!"

"Only to talk! How about a date?"

"We're not dating anymore!"

"You can't deny the fact that you're hungry and have no money, right?" she points out. "I'll get you some food if you'll talk to me while you eat!"

"I think I'll pass!"

"Aww, that's disappointing... I guess I'll just have to turn you into a wolf and make you come with me!" Fenrir cheers happily.

"Wait, you can _do_ that?!"

"Of course. I'm the pack leader, so I have power over you. I'm sure you'll be more than happy to come with me as a wolf!"

I have the most troublesome ex _ever_... "...Fine, you win. But after lunch, you better leave me alone!"

"I won't bother you for the rest of the day, promise!" She smiles sweetly. Keh, I don't trust her... especially not after she turned me into a...

"Come on, then! You're being a slowpoke!" Wha—how'd she get so far ahead already?! I hurry to catch up with her, and we walk into Friezkiel. I wonder if she can really do what she says... but I don't want to test it. Not so close to a town...

I follow her into some random restaurant. She smiles at me... she looks like a kind, sincere person with her smile, but that's exactly how she tricked me before... We sit down, since it's a seat-yourself restaurant.

The server walks over. "Are you two ready to order?"

"Hot chocolate for both of us," Fenrir speaks up.

"Hey, don't just make decisions for me!"

"C'mon, aren't you cold in that? You're wearing short sleeves in the coldest city there is!"

I hate it when she's right... "Fine, whatever..."

"So, Chester, what do you want to eat?"

"I dunno... I guess a large of that steak one with bacon and sausage on the side."

"You're an expensive date..."

"You're the one making me come. And this is _not_ a date!"

"But we used to date all the time."

"We broke up!"

"Still... that sounds really good! I think I'll have that as well!" the goddess decides. The server writes it down and hurries away.

"Then you can't complain about me having it!" Is this what Fenrir's really like? Or is this another act...? Have I ever seen her _real_ personality...?

"So? What'd you want to talk about?"

"Well, I can understand best what you're going through..." As she talks, the server drops off our drinks, and I begin drinking mine. "I've been through it before, too, unlike your 'friends'..."

My friends... I wonder if they're scared of me, now that I'm a... Ami's scared... she was trembling... and Dad didn't know what to do, either... What if Fenrir's right...? What if there's no cure...? Will I always be like this...?

"You should consider joining me in the realm of the gods, you know... You can't control your wolf form by yourself, but I can help you," she says. "I can help you so that you never have to hurt anyone again... wouldn't that be nice?"

It would be, but... but...

_"Chester, don't listen to her! She's just trying to trick you into joining her!"_

Fenrir's my enemy. I can't forget that, not even for a moment...

"...I'm sorry."

Wait, did Fenrir... just apologize?! "Huh?!"

"I never meant for you to become a werewolf... If you had just died, this wouldn't be happening to you..."

"Wait, so you meant to kill me, but not to turn me into a werewolf? Are you crazy?!"

She smiles, amused. "Maybe... but some things are worse than death. Being a werewolf... being alone... that's one of them..." Fenrir pauses. "But... neither of us have to be alone! We're the same now—we should work together! No one else would ever understand us... They'll only shun us, fear us..."

No, I can't listen to her...

"Don't you see, Chester? We can help each other. We can understand each other..."

"You're the one that put me in this boat to begin with!" I yell. "Why the hell should I join you?!"

"I'm asking for your forgiveness!"

"You tried—no wait, you _did_ kill me!"

I glare at her, and she glares back, neither of us saying a word. The server returns with our food, silently and nervously placing it down on the table. The goddess completely forgets about glaring and begins eating. Keh... I start eating as well.

"If you hate being a werewolf so much, can't you use some goddess magic to get rid of it?"

"Idiot... Nothing's that convenient. As I said before, there's no cure after you've become a werewolf..."

"How does a goddess become a werewolf in the first place?"

"The same way as everyone else." She sounds confused about the question. Oh I am _not_ letting this go!

"So you're a goddess and became a werewolf by being bit?"

"Yes."

"Heh, looks like you're not all-powerful after all!" I conclude. "Milard was bit and didn't turn—I guess she's stronger than you! Oh, and she's only support in the party!"

She fumes. Ha! "What about you?! I turned you into a were—which means that you're weaker than me!"

"No, I was already pretty wounded by that time... you just came in like a vulture for the kill!"

She glares at me, angry. "You're paying for yourself."

...Wait a second... "But I don't have any money!"

"Then I hope you know how to do the dishes! Oh, and I hope they don't keep you 'til night!"

...I hate her. "Okay, you win."

"Don't I get an apology?"

"Don't push your luck."

She begins... laughing?! What's she laughing about...? "You haven't changed at all..."

Huh?! "Well you have... I don't even know what the 'real you' is like."

"That's not true! I didn't hide anything when I first met you," Fenrir says.

"Liar. You acted polite to get on my good side!"

She giggles. "I said when I first met you, not when you first met me."

"They're the same thing!"

"No they're not. Strange, isn't it...?" She continues eating, silent.

"...Hey, aren't you going to explain or something?"

"Do I really have to explain everything?"

"You do when you don't make sense."

"I make plenty of sense! You're just to slow to realize it," Fenrir says.

Keh... I continue eating my food. The sooner I finish, the sooner I can get away from Fenrir, right...?

"Chester..." she speaks up; I glance at her. "Please come with me... I'm afraid that if you don't, something bad might happen..."

Fenrir's... worried about me...? Wait, but she killed me before, and she's the one that turned me into this...

"Your 'friends' have already betrayed you," the goddess adds. "They've lied to you, and were no doubt planning on doing worse to protect themselves."

My friends... they _did_ lie to me... and maybe they were trying to think up a way to lock me up at night, so they wouldn't get hurt...

I... can't go back... to _either_ side...

"I'm still not going with you..."

"What?! Aren't you angry at them?!"

"Of course I am! They could've said something or... But they're still my friends and family." Ami, Dad, Cless, Mint, Milard, Suzu, Arche... "I don't want them to get hurt or turned into a werewolf, no matter what."

"How can you say that?! Look at what they've done to you—do you think _they_ were worried about hurting you, or how you felt?! They were prepared to throw you out... to kill you when you become too dangerous."

"How could you know what they're thinking?!" I demand.

"Because it's always like that... for every werewolf I've seen. I don't want you to go through that pain, too...!"

"I'm not going back to them... but nor am I going with you. I'm just going to be on my own..."

"On your own, eh...? Another werewolf once did that... the last queen of Fenrir, Merilynn."

Merilynn?! "She became... a queen?!"

"That's right."

"What happened to her...?"

"Eh? You care?" Fenrir questions.

"Of course I care! Merilynn's my friend!"

"We could be friends, too, you know!" She smiles brightly, with a questioning look on her face.

"What part of 'you killed me' do you not understand?!"

"Aww... you're so cold..."

"Hey, what happened to Merilynn?!"

The goddess sighs and leans back on her chair. "After finding out that she was a werewolf, she ran away for thirteen years... no one knew where she was for that whole time."

Merilynn... ran away after that day...? "Then what?"

"It doesn't matter that much, does it?" she questions. "That's not what I brought you here to talk about."

"I'm not joining you. At all."

"Look around you, Chester. Look at all of the people here..." Huh? I do so; there are people at their tables, talking to each other or eating, enjoying their lives. The servers and other workers are all working hard, all absorbed in making money. A group of people leave their table, laughing, and a bus boy immediately starts cleaning their table for the next customers. Everything... seems so normal...

"Everyone's living their own lives... No matter what happens, no matter who dies or becomes a werewolf, everyone keeps going... everyone does the same thing over and over again, preparing for the next customer or the next day. No matter what we do, nobody cares." She pauses, staring at her empty plate. "If you had died, sure, your friends would've been sad, but they would've kept moving... The whole world keeps moving, no matter what we do. There will always be... a new day."

I never really... thought about that before... But she's right. What does the world care what happens to us? We're just...

"One person alone cannot change the world," Fenrir continues.

I suppose it does seem impossible for anyone to change the world, but... "That can't be true... we saved the world in our previous lives—in this era."

"But you weren't alone, were you? The six of you worked together, with help from all of the nations on Aselia, summon spirits, and even us."

Eh? "You... helped us in our previous lives...?"

"Something like that. Cless and Klarth still have the items that were once used by us..."

Oh, so that's what she meant... about the Eternal Sword...

"Either way, you weren't alone at all."

I hate to admit it, but she's right... Ah! "What about Martel? She was originally a half elf, and by becoming part of Yggdrasil... she changed the world, right?"

"That was the original Martel... In a way, the half elf known as Martel Yggdrasil became a goddess, and in a way, she didn't."

"Huh?!"

"Martel... is mana. She is the source of the tree's life; the tree uses her mana to create food and, as a byproduct, more mana. The extra mana then gets dispersed to the rest of the world, simply as waste to the tree."

"...I don't understand that at all," I admit.

"Basically, the tree uses the mana in Martel to create more mana. Without her, it lacks the necessary ingredients for creating more mana. On top of that, she guards the tree. But I guess the original question would be... what is Martel?"

"She's a half elf, right...?"

"No. She is neither elf nor human nor half elf... nor any other natural life form. She is a goddess, to put it simply..."

"That still doesn't tell me just what she is, and how she didn't change the world by herself."

"That's the thing, though. Martel isn't just one being... she's a combination of many lives, of many hopes and dreams. People who die go to Yggdrasil and become part of her... except when she's not there. So, in that way, she changes the world using everyone who has ever lived, everyone who lost their lives for the cause of her to be formed and Yggdrasil to be planted, and everyone since then. She is everyone, and no one."

This is so weird... "Then who was Martel Yggdrasil?"

"Martel Yggdrasil is, in a way, the main spirit in Martel... Not only was Martel named for her, but Martel looks like the half elf and even inherited her personality."

"So that's what a goddess is... then what are you?"

"I'm a goddess!"

"Were you... _always_ a goddess?" I question.

She smiles kindly. "Of course! Ody-chan, Thory-chan, Heimheim-chan, and I are just a different type of god from Marty-chan!"

She has nicknames for everyone... I'm glad she hasn't included me in that!

"Are there any more gods I should know about...?"

"Nope! We're the only five for Aselia. Then there's Norn—Martel's equivalent, but she's lost quite a bit of power due to their heavy mana shortage—and who knows who else for Derris-Kharlan."

"Then what's the realm of the gods good for if there's only five of you?! That seems like a waste of space!"

"We're not the only ones living there... the Valkyries are there as well. And the daemons have been trying to take it over."

"Aren't _you_ a daemon?!" We have a goddess who's a daemon... that's pretty twisted! I wonder if Derris-Kharlan has anything like that...

"Yeah, but I'm also a goddess. Besides, I wasn't always a werewolf, so I'd rather be on the human side than the daemon side."

"...You make no sense..." Keh, forget it... I continue eating. I'm almost done, and then I can leave...

"Still, the whole point of that was that no one—not even Martel—can change the world by his or herself."

"Well you're a goddess, right? Can't you change the world by yourself?"

"I wish it was that simple, but why do you think we used you Heroes of Space-Time?"

Huh... so not even a goddess can change the world alone... looks like she's right after all...

"One person doesn't make a difference... so it wouldn't matter if you came with me or stayed here," she concludes.

Keh, I should've expected as much! "Nice try, but it matters to me!"

"Darn, I thought I had you..."

Our server comes over with the check. "Here you go..."

"Thank you," the goddess says with a kind, polite smile. Wait a sec...

"Hold it," I say as the server walks away. "How can you be so frivolously one moment and so polite the next?!"

"Hm... I dunno!"

Are you serious?!

"I guess I'm just so used to it..." she mutters, considering.

"So used to what, being polite?"

"Maybe. Or maybe I'm just so used to tricking people, or being polite to get my way..."

"That's _not_ something you should do automatically! Where'd someone so devious learn to be so polite, anyway?!"

Fenrir giggles as she pulls out some gald for the bill. "An old friend taught me."

So someone taught her... Keh, and because she's so polite, she can easily trick people—that's how she tricked me! "Whoever this 'old friend' of yours is, I hate him."

"What, jealous?"

"Of course not!" I yell angrily. "It's because of that person that you're able to trick people so easily!"

Fenrir laughs. "Aw, come on, there's no reason to hate him for something so trivial!"

"It's not trivial!"

"Right, right..." The server takes the money as I finish up my food. "...You should really consider coming with me, though. There's nothing for you here... no one cares, and you wouldn't do anything to help the world by staying..."

"I'm not going to betray my friends again..."

"Funny, didn't you already do that by running away?" she questions deviously.

I jump up. "Dammit, what do you know?!"

"Obviously a lot more than you. What will you solve by running away? Isn't your precious little sister... still in danger?"

Ami...! But... "She has Dad and Cless to protect her."

"And Dhaos, right?"

"Keh, that idiot better stay away from her!"

"See? You hate the people of Derris-Kharlan, too!"

"I do not!" I argue. "Lloyd and the others are my friends—I just hate Dhaos!"

Someone drops a drink, and people are staring at me now. Oh... right... we're in a time period where Dhaos was a threat to Aselia, aren't we...? I guess mentioning him wasn't the best idea...

"Anyway, are we done here?" I ask; I'm finished with my food now...

"Sure. You can go if you want. Though... remember what I said, Chester. You can see it all around... they're already preparing for tomorrow. For the same exact thing, no matter what happens to us..."

No matter what...

Keh... I stand up and start walking away.

"See you later, Chester!"

I would rather not see her again... I continue walking out without a word. It's cold out here, but... I don't care. I need to get out of the city before it gets to late...

It's afternoon now, from the looks of it. I still have a little while... I make my way through the snow. It's so cold... I can't stand it anymore! I try rubbing my arms to warm up, but it doesn't help...

I smell some creatures ahead... daemons? No, one of them is, but the other isn't... I follow the scent. I guess I'm a little curious...

There's a wolf and a daemon—a roper—fighting... The wolf is losing—she flies back and falls into the snow, which turns crimson from her blood. She gets up, growling. "I won't lose...!" Wait, did I just hear her... talk...?

A wolf...

I pull my bow off of my back and notch an arrow, taking careful aim. I charge dark energy into it. "Glimmer Shot!" The blast destroys the roper, and the wolf turns to me, assuming a defensive stance.

"A human...?!" She sniffs the air. "...Wait, but this human smells like a wolf..."

I guess I would... I nod.

"Hm? You... understand me?" she questions; I nod again.

She curiously walks up, not on edge anymore, and sniffs me. "You're _not_ human, are you...?" She waits for an answer, but I don't want to give one... Keh, I don't want to be a werewolf... "...Are you on your way to the human pack?"

Pack? Oh, I guess she means the villagers of Friezkiel... "...I can't go back," I tell her.

"You really _do_ understand me!" the wolf cheers. "Come on, I'll introduce you to my pack! Unless you already have one to return to?"

_"I'm the pack leader__, so__..."_ Keh, I am _not_ part of her pack! "I don't."

"Then come on!" She grabs the dead roper in her mouth and starts trotting through the snow. I follow her, carrying my bow. Another daemon could show up at any time...

We soon reach cliffs to the far east of Friezkiel. The wolf digs in the snow around the base, revealing a hole, which she then proceeds to climb through. Does she really expect me to follow her like this?

After a few minutes, she pokes her head back out. "Hey, aren't you coming? Can't you crawl through?"

I shake my head. "The hole's not big enough for me."

"Oh... I'll make it bigger, then. Hold on..." The wolf begins digging, slowly making the hole big enough for me to crawl through. I take it, where I find a worn out cave. The way the rocks are... it looks like it caved in a long time ago...

There's a whole pack of wolves in here, just lounging around. They all stare at me skeptically, but none of them try to attack.

"Look!" my guide tells the wolves. "He can understand us!"

"Is he a human...?" another female wolf questions, and a few of them begin circling me.

"I'm..." A pack of wolves... I guess it would be in my best interest to tell them the truth... "I'm a werewolf..."

"Wow!" the first wolf I met exclaims. "A real werewolf?! I've never seen one before!"

"So you're like the ancients..." says a more refined male.

"The ancients?"

He nods. "Werewolves used to gather here, to be with the Ice Maiden... until the battle."

"Huh? I don't understand what you're talking about..."

"Then come with me." He and a few other wolves begin walking away, further into the cave. I curiously follow them. I might as well...

We soon reach another large opening. Wow...! Here, there are many wolves... all incased in ice... all dead...

I was about to become an ice statue like this once... I reach out and touch one. It's cold... there's no way any of these wolves are alive.

It looks like they were fighting amongst each other when they died... Two fighting each other are even in the same ice block..."The Ice Maiden died that day," one of the wolves speaks up. "That was the year that the snow started to melt... until the Wolf Goddess restored the land to its cold state. She rules over this land now."

This is Fenrir's land...? No wonder she found me so quickly...

The wolves turn away and go back into the opening, the main area; I follow them. Here, they start feasting on the roper. They're ripping it apart... I sit down by the cave wall, not looking at the wolves or the roper.

Was I going to do that to Milard last night...?

As they finish their food, the adults walk over and lay down by me, while the pups start playing.

What am I going to do now? Should I stay here with the wolves, or go somewhere on my own...?

Or should I... go back to my friends...?

No. I can't do that, or they'll get hurt.

I guess I'll just stay here for now, at least until I figure out where to go next.

"Chester... Chester, can you hear me?"

Huh? That's... Merilynn...! She's standing in the cave, only a few feet in front of me. "We'll always be friends, right, Chester...?"

"Y-yeah! Of course!"

The young girl smiles, happy. "Good..." She fades out. Was I just... imagining that...? None of the wolves seemed to have noticed it...

"You're friends with Merilynn, correct?" a female voice questions. The wolves jump up, turning to the newcomer with growls; I stand as well. She's a young woman with short, pale green hair cropped neatly around her small face. Her ears are pointed—she's an elf?! She's wearing a green tunic with brown patterns and leggings, and on her feet are a pair of brown boots. Her hazel eyes stare at me, calculating... almost as if she's trying to decide whether I'm worth her time or not.

"That's right. Who are you?!" I demand.

"You know me."

"Huh? I do...?" I stare at her a little longer. Come to think of it, she _does_ look kinda familiar... "Are you... Kalinthra?"

"Correct," she says coldly. She turns to walk to the hole leading out of the cave.

"That was it?!"

"Go to the year 2556 if you wish to know what became of her... Olive City outskirts, January 30th. She should be around there at that time..."

"I can't time travel."

She turns to stare at me. "Aren't you going back to your friends?"

"And be a danger to them every night?! Are you crazy?!"

"Idiot... it's now that you need them most. If you don't return to them, then you'll only face despair..."

"I'm not going back! They'll be better off without me!"

"But will you be better off without them?" Kalinthra questions.

"Keh, this isn't about me! I've already hurt one of them!"

"If you're already punishing yourself, then I'd hate to see what happens because of your stubbornness."

"What do you know?! Just who the hell do you think you are?!"

"You're not going back, no matter what?"

"That's right!"

"...Then you're already lost." Kalinthra continues walking—straight through the cave wall. The wolves stare a little longer before relaxing again.

Keh, I'm not lost!

_"Chester, don't lose yourself..."_

I'm not! I'm not...

I want to go with my friends... I don't want to be left behind! But if I do, they'll only be in danger... I don't want to be a werewolf!

The moons... they're coming early tonight. I can already feel them... Dammit...

Tomorrow. Tomorrow, I'll at least give them the rest of the Rheairds and tell them about Kalinthra... and then they can be on their way...

I hate this. I just... want to be human again!

The moons are here. I can feel it...

**Chester gained the title of Pack Newbie. It is a title given to a wolf that's new in a pack, whether he likes it or not!**


	51. Phoenix Fighter

**Sorry for the long update! But the good news is that I finally have a good job!**

**Anyway, I've added ****Kalinthra of Heimdall to my profile page... ****does anyone want me to add another character? ****And I've also added ****a poll and contact information stuff (I like meeting people... ****And polls).**** Speaking about contacting people, thank you to those have reviewed! I've made sure to reply to every review, but I'm not sure if they get to you or not... so I'm very sorry if for some reason they haven't gotten to you! And thank you (again for some) to all of you who have read this much! Please continue to enjoy the story!**

**This is a sad chapter... so I shall provide (horrible) comic relief here! I um, did something stupid. I named my new internet router 'Fenrir'... It's being nice to me now, but I **_**know**_** it's just leading me into a false sense of security! ****It's going to trick me! AND GIVE ME VIRUSES! ****It's evil! EVIL I SAY!**

**...Okay, that's enough sugar for me today...**** I've scared my muses... (****not**** that that'****s really new...)**

**Anyway, enjoy! Sorry for the lack of comedy in this chapter...**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Tales of games. They are owned by Namco.**

**--Phoenix Fighter--**

I can't breath... the scent of blood is too strong. And what's in my mouth?! I cough—it doesn't help...

I'm on my hands and knees in Friezkiel. My hands... they're covered in blood...!

Someone grabs my arm and pulls me up to my feet. I glance around the town.

The white snow has turned red, and the citizens are staring at me with disgust. There are some... dead people... A crying woman picks up a motionless kid. No, this can't be... I didn't...

"So, that's a werewolf..." one villager says to whoever's holding me. "Let the village authorities take him—we'll take care of him!"

"Allow us to handle this," the person behind me speaks up. That sounds like... "We know how to... deal with werewolves." Dad...?!

I glance behind me—all of my friends are here, including Sardon. How did they...

"We want to see him dead!"

"Sorry, but if we did that now, it would be dangerous. It'd be best if we took him with us."

"You were talking as if you know it—who's to say you're not trying to save that creature?!"

Is this... what Arche has to deal with...? Everyone hating her because of what she is...

But they have a reason to hate me...

"I'm willing to bet..." a female voice speaks up from the crowd, "...that if they plan on keeping him alive, it's to do experiments on him." A woman pushes her way through the crowd, towards us. She has medium, silver hair tied back from her face into a half ponytail. Her blue eyes watch me with fascination. "Right, Sardon?"

"Sephie!" Sardon exclaims. He knows this woman...? "What are you doing here?"

"I live here. Don't tell me you already forgot..." the woman says in a critical voice.

"O-oh! Right!"

"Sephie, is he a friend of yours...?" a villager asks.

"Yeah. Don't worry, Sardon's a researcher like me," Sephie says. "Anyway, this is for an experiment, correct?"

"Y-yes! O-of course!" the young man stammers.

"Then it would be best not to linger here. Come on, I'll see you off." The woman turns away and starts leading us; we follow her straight out of the town, the others surrounding me. How the heck did they find me...?

We walk through the snow. I feel so disgusted... I attacked people last night, and... no...

"Sardon," Sephie speaks up. "Does anyone know that you're experimenting on a werewolf?"

"Nope! Eh heh heh..." Sardon rubs the back of his head, a nervous tone in his voice.

"Idiot..." mutters Sephie. "You should've said something! Now people of Friezkiel are dead—what do you plan on doing about that?!"

"Ah..."

"Hey!" I jump in front of Sardon. "What happened at Friezkiel is my fault, not his!"

"Hold it! Why are you sticking up for him, werewolf?!"

"Don't you dare call me that!"

Sephie studies first me, and then Sardon. "Now I see... this _isn't_ an experiment, is it?!" She turns her glare to the rest of my friends. "Are all of you werewolves, too?!" Her eyes fall on Arche. "Eh?! Arche-san?! What are you..."

"Huh? You know me...?"

"Arche, your past life..." Dad reminds her.

"Oh right! Eh heh heh..."

"Sephie... These are time travelers. They're trying to save the world!" Sardon explains, a smile on his face. Trying to save the world... we have a lot of help... why did they come back for me? I'm not needed for this...

"My name is Cless Alvein. This is Mint Adnade, Fujibayashi Suzu, Klarth F. Lester—"

"K-Klarth?! Y-you mean..."

"Yep! In a way, he's the same Klarth F. Lester as our great grandfather, sis!" Wait, _sis_?! This woman... is Sardon's _sister_?!

"...And the werewolf is...?"

"He's traveling with us," Dad says. "He'll be out of this time period soon, so there's nothing for you to worry about. Though... there is another one in this time period that looks like him. Chester Barklight, an archer from Toltus." Ah! I forgot about that...! This is the year 4304, right? So now... "He is not a werewolf. Should there be a need, I ask that you help prove his innocence."

Sephie pauses, considering this. She nods. "If he really isn't a werewolf, then I'll help him. If he is, then there's no way that I can 'prove' his innocence."

"Fair enough. Now then, shall we be off?" Dad holds his hand out to me. He's not wearing his pact rings... "The wing pack?"

I pull it out of my pocket and stare down at the capsule. They came and saved me, even after I... dammit... I was too close to town... And I...

"How many...?" I question. "How many did I... did I..."

Dad puts a hand on my shoulder, and I look up at him. He smiles kindly at me. "Come on, let's just go get you cleaned up. We'll figure out what to do next after that."

Looks like I ended up going back with them after all... keh... I hand the wing pack to Dad, and he releases the Rheairds. We climb on; somehow, I end up behind Sardon... We leave Sephie standing in the snow, watching us.

"Hey, Sardon!" she calls out. "I'm going to let Mom and Spinel know about these time travelers, okay?"

"O-okay!"

"Don't you dare make another mistake!"

We lift off, ascending high into the air. I glance at Sardon... he seems a little worried about something... Did he not want his sister to know about us? Well, I guess that's understandable, now that I'm a werewolf... Plus, how do you explain that people who looked like some in this time, except were from the future, were traveling around? That'd be kinda weird to talk about...

And Dad never answered... he never answered my question... I'm dangerous, though. It'd be better for them to stay away from me... Even if they hated me for it... at least they'd be safe, right...?

"We'll have to stop by Toltus to explain the situation to the other Chester," Dad calls out. "Sardon, Chester, why don't you two head straight to Euclid?"

"Right!" Sardon says, and we start pulling down, away from the group. They keep flying, towards Migue—I mean Toltus. But Sardon doesn't fly straight towards the outskirts of the city; instead, he lands on the cliff overlooking Euclid. I jump off of the Rheaird without a word, and he follows suit.

"That was fun!" Sardon says as he stretches out. "I've never flown before—Klarth-san said that you had even bigger flying things in your time! I wonder when they'll make Rheairds! I hope they make them while I'm still alive—hey, maybe I can develop them!"

_"One person alone cannot change the world..."_

"They'll get developed anyway—why push it?"

"Huh?!"

I sit down on the grass, staring at the town ahead of us. "There are tons of people in this world, and we're from the future, so we know it'll happen... What does it matter who does it? It's the same, no matter who..." Fenrir was right... "On person doesn't make a difference, right? No matter what happens... time keeps flowing... ignoring us..."

Sardon doesn't say a word. I don't think I've ever heard him this quiet... I glance up at him.

"Chester..." he suddenly speaks up. "When you look at that city, what do you see?"

Huh?! I turn my gaze back to Euclid. "...Everyone doing the same thing, day in and day out. Going to school, working... the same exact thing."

"Really? That's... not what I see." He pauses; a strong gust of wind flows from behind us, grabbing my long hair in it. "I see... a bunch of people making a difference in the world!"

Wha?! "Are you crazy?! What are they doing out of the ordinary? I bet none of their names are listed in history... You can ask Dad about that."

"Just what are you wanting to change?" the researcher questions. "'The world' is a broad subject, consisting of many things! If you want to make it so the sun doesn't come up or the moon doesn't shine, then that's a whole different thing!"

"I'm not following..."

"What's your world like?" My world...? "It's different from my world, right? And that's different from Cathy's world or Klarth-san's world... We all view the world differently. So even something as basic as interaction with other people can change the world for that person... or even for both people."

"Huh... I never thought of it like that..." I admit.

"But... if you want to think of it on broader terms," Sardon continues, putting his hands behind his head, "then I believe that one person can impact lots of other people, too!"

"I suppose I changed a lot at Friezkiel last night..." I mutter. What other examples are there... One person can... do a lot of damage to a society... like how the gods used Dad's summon spirits against Aselia, or the people that Merilynn killed... the dark secrets in the castle and crimes the king was committing... "...But what good can one person do? Everything I can think of that someone can do alone... end up _hurting_ a society..."

"Wrong!" Sardon calls out. "One person can do a lot of good—think about Cathy and Mint! They're healers, right? They can use their knowledge and skills to _help_ societies!"

"But there are lots of healers..."

Another pause. "Chester, if one person couldn't do good for the world..." he says, his tone now serious, "...then what would the point of us researchers be? We come up with new ideas to help make the world better... and some things only one person can figure out how to make. It's by passing that knowledge on that it becomes common, but without someone to _initialize_ it, then it couldn't happen. Researchers, clerics, everyone... we all change the world, whether for better or for worse, for all or for one... We all do something to change the world. Aren't you... trying to save the world known as Derris-Kharlan?"

Derris-Kharlan... I wonder if there's any way to save it now...

"Hey Chester, are there artificial summon spirits in your time?"

"Huh? No... I've never heard of one before you mentioned them and showed us Mieu."

"All right! I'm inspired—I'm gonna change that!" Sardon yells out. "By your time, there will be hundreds of little Mieus running around!"

"Eh?! Hundreds of..."

"I want you to watch for them, Chester," he says, staring down on me with a cocky grin on his face. "Then you and the rest of the world will see that one person can make a difference!"

Sardon... "Yeah, I'll watch for them..." I promise. Hundreds of Mieus... "That'd be too sore of a sight to miss..." I mutter, half a joke and half not. I don't really feel like joking that much...

"Hey hey, Mieu's cute!" argues the researcher. "Doesn't he make you smile? Oh! And I bet he helps out a lot! I should make him a sister! I'll name her... I'll name her... Cheagie! And then I'll name the next one Ion! And then..."

I sigh. "You're crazy..."

Sardon laughs. "Let's go back to town! I can't wait to get working on Cheagie! Ah—what should we do about the Rheaird?"

"Ride it to the outskirts of town? Dad'll be back with the wing pack soon."

"Right! Let's go!" the man cheers; we climb on, and take a quick hop over to the outskirts of Euclid. There, we hop off again and enter the town. We walk straight to Sardon's house.

Inside, Cathy walks towards us, her cat Trinedy by her feet. "Hello... I have the bath ready for you, Chester."

I nod.

"Oh right! You still need to get cleaned up, huh? C'mon, the bath's this way!" He leads me down the stairs leading to his lab. Huh, it turns off to another hallway before reaching his basement... we walk into that hallway, and down to the second door, which he slams open. "Here you are! Everything should be in there!"

I nod and walk in. I still need to... "Hey, Sardon?"

"Hm?"

"Work hard on those Mieus... I'll be waiting to see them!" I try my best to grin at him; I'm not sure if I really managed it... but he grins back.

"Yeah! They'll give everyone confidence!" He heads further down into the basement while I close the door to the bathroom. I feel like a mess...

----

I don't know how long I was in there, but I still feel dirty... I'm back in my normal clothes; I exit the room. There are quite a few rooms on this hall... I hear voices above; it sounds like the others are back now. I'm not sure... if I want to go up and see them yet... I notice an open door and enter that room. There's a bed in here... rest will be good, right...? I drop my quiver and bow next to the bed and lay down, turning so I'm staring up at the ceiling.

I can still smell the blood... I can still see it, too... _"We want to see him dead!"_ They have every right to hate me. I'm a bloodthirsty werewolf... dammit all...

I can pick up Mint's scent... she's coming this way.

"Chester-san..." she speaks up from the doorway; I don't answer. "Chester-san, we have some food ready. I made some more meat buns for you."

"...I'm not hungry."

"You'll feel better after you eat, and—"

"I said I'm not hungry!" I stare her straight in the eyes, and she pauses, nervous.

"Chester-san..."

I turn away. "Why...? Why did you come after me...? Are you all complete idiots...?!"

"Because we were worried about you," the dove answers. "We want to help you, Chester-san..."

"Weren't you listening to Fenrir?! There's no cure... I'm only a danger to you!"

"That's not true! Even if there is no cure... there's still something we can do, right...? Please work with us... and we'll find a way through this..."

"Idiot..." Keh, I can smell Arche coming now... anyone but her...

"Chester-san, come eat..."

"I don't want anything! Now leave me alone!"

"Hey, Chester!" Arche's voice rings loudly. "Don't yell at Mint!"

"Shut it!"

"You jerk! Why are you pushing us all away?! I thought you were done with that!"

This... is different... it's for your own safety... "I don't care; just leave me alone already!"

"Come on, Mint!" the witch yells, furious. "We don't need to stick around such a thick-skulled moron!"

"Eh?! But..."

"Come on!" The two walk off, their footsteps slowly fading away.

She... did what I asked... she's better off like that... so then why... do I feel so sad...? I shouldn't... even be here with them... I'm so selfish...

_"I'm so selfish... I'm sorry, Onii-chan..."_ Ami... That's right, I remember her saying something like that once... She also wanted something... something that we thought was impossible to have... She wanted parents, and we were so young at that point... We never guessed that we'd one day be adopted... That one day, everything would be right again...

But can it be right again now...? I... destroyed innocent lives... I'm not human anymore... I'm...

"You shouldn't close up to us, Chester." Wait, Arche?! I turn to glare at her.

"What are you still doing here?!"

"Keeping you from wallowing in your own self pity."

"Shut up! What do you know?!"

"I know that you're being a big baby and getting all depressed over nothing!"

Keh, why does she always have to be such a... "Brat... Don't you realize what's happened?! Innocent people _died_ last night..."

Arche pauses, not saying anything for a minute. She finally speaks up; "Well, I won't say that it's not your fault, 'cause _you're_ the on who ran off on your own... We could've figured something out so that no one got hurt. Don't you trust us, Chester?"

I... "I... I _do_ trust you... But I could hurt you..."

"...So in other words, you don't trust yourself now."

I guess... maybe she's right...

"What's so bad about it, anyway? So you're a daemon now... you just have to learn a few things about it, and then you can live normally again!" Arche says cheerfully.

Keh... she doesn't understand... "Normally...? How can you call it 'normal' when I change into a wolf every night?!" Neither of us say a word for a minute. "...I've... never cared before what race someone is... As long as they're alive, that's enough for them to be treated the same as everyone else. But... now, more than anything... I just want to be human again..."

"You seem pretty human to me!" Arche says. "You just change into a wolf every night... nothing too big to worry about, right?"

"Are you stupid?!"

"Hey, I'm trying to cheer you up here! You don't have to be so rude!"

"You're obnoxious!" Just go away...!

"Idiot! See if I ever try to help you out again!" Arche yells before storming off. This time I watch her go, and I listen to her footsteps as she angrily marches down the hall. Arche...

It's better this way. They should just leave me alone... maybe I should push them all away. Then they won't get hurt...

What would I do, though? I can't be anywhere near a town without killing innocent lives... Maybe... just maybe...

_"It's now that you need them most. If you don't return to them, then you'll only face despair... __W__ill you be better off without them?"_

Maybe she was right... Maybe I _do_ need them... Keh, I can take care of myself, though... I just... can't control my body at night...

_"So in other words, you don't trust yourself..."_

Dammit all... I hate this. I can't be close to anyone without hurting them, but... I don't really... want to leave them... And if I do, it could come out just like Friezkiel... I can't let that happen again!

Will they... lock me up every night, like what happened with Merilynn? I wouldn't blame them if they did—that might even be for the best... then I couldn't hurt them...

Or maybe I should ask Fenrir how to control it... Keh, she'll probably want something in return for her help... She really wants me to go with her... If I did, then I could control myself as a wolf, and I wouldn't hurt anyone... but I'd also betray my friends. I told myself I wouldn't do anything like that to them... And I don't _want_ to betray them. I don't like what Fenrir's doing to Derris-Kharlan... So no matter what the benefits, I won't go with her. I'm...

I'm back with my friends now... Kalinthra said to go to the year 2556... I can't go with them, or else I'll jeopardize our journey... So I'll let them know that... later... I don't want to see them right now...

...Figures. Now I smell Dad and Ami coming this way... Why won't they just leave me alone?! I flip over so I'm not facing him; I'll just pretend to be asleep.

"Hey, Chester..." Dad says as he enters. I don't answer. Stop bothering me already... "Don't pull that. I know you're awake; I could hear you and Arche arguing all the way upstairs..."

"Go away."

"Now what kind of father would I be if I did that?" the summoner questions, his tone light.

"Idiot... don't you see? You adopted a werewolf..."

"No I didn't," he states so firmly that I turn my head to look at him in surprise.

"But I'm..."

"I adopted Chester. He hasn't lost to the wolf yet, has he?" Dad asks, a grin on his face. Wait, but...

"Onii-chan is Onii-chan!" Ami speaks up. "No matter what!"

"...You two are a bunch of dolts." I don't look at them; I stare at the wall instead.

"Aah, but who's the biggest dolt here? Surely not the one sulking instead of fixing things—oh no, he could _never_ be a dolt!" my father comments sarcastically, and I turn to glare at him.

"Shut it! What happened last night was..."

"What happened last night will happen again tonight if we don't get to work now. On top of that, those people that died last night... you're dishonoring them if you give up now. If you don't do anything, they will have died in vain—do you want that? But if you fight this, if you overcome it... their deaths will mean something, right?"

_"Even something as basic as interaction with other people can change the world for that person..."_ Those people... they can still become something... They can become people who change _my_ world, right...?

"So, are you ready to fight the wolf, Chester? Or will it always beat you, without question?" Dad questions.

To fight... if I could control it, then I wouldn't have to hurt anyone else, right...? But they could get hurt in the process... Still, if I don't, I'll either have to be locked up every night forever or I'll kill more innocent people... I sit up. "...All right. I'll... try to fight it..."

"There's the Chester I know! Let's get something to eat while we discuss the plan."

I nod and stand up. Ami runs over to me and grabs my hand, which she then begins pulling at. Ami... Dad... Mint... Arche... thank you all. And everyone else... even after what I've become, none of you have left me... but you're all still helping me... You're all a bunch of idiots, but...

I follow them upstairs, where everyone else is sitting around a table, eating. They left spots open for me, Dad, and Ami... We sit down; I'm sitting between Cless and Ami. Arche turns away, still mad at me. This is what happens when I push people away... I don't want them to get hurt, but... they'll just keep following me like a bunch of idiots if I try running again or pushing them away... Why are my friends so stupid?! Why...

"Here are some of the meat buns, Chester," Mint offers as she passes them over to me. I nod and put two on my plate, and Cless passes me the hamburgers; I take one and put it on my plate. I'm not really that hungry... I don't know if I _can_ eat anything safely after last night... but these idiots will complain if I don't try.

But what can I really do to stop this...? Fenrir knows... she says she can help me, like I can't control it on my own... Is that true? What if I kill someone else... or turn someone into a werewolf...?

Oh right... "What'd my past twin say...?" I ask.

"They're going to handle proving him innocent. The other Cless already has a plan."

"Good..." I'm glad I didn't mess up my past self's life as well...

"After lunch, we're going to Lone Valley to start your training," Dad explains.

"But it's going to be a while before the moon comes up..." I point out.

"It'd be best to start before that," Milard speaks up. "When the moon comes, you lose full control... You need to be ready to retain that control over your body."

"How does Chester look as a wolf...?" questions Cathy.

"He's a cute wolf!" exclaims her husband. "He has grey fur with white on bottom and blue eyes!"

I scowl. "A vicious wolf isn't 'cute'!"

"I bet you're a very cute wolf when you're not growling all the time, Chester!" jokes Cless.

"Yeah, you just need to get control of your body, Onii-chan! I wonder how soft you are as a wolf..."

"Don't you dare pet me!"

"But most dogs like being pet..."

"I'm not a dog!"

"Well isn't this convenient?" Cless speaks up, a joking grin on his face. "Klarth-san and Ami have a pet now!"

"Shut it, Cless!" I yell while everyone else laughs. "Hey, that's not funny!"

"Hey hey, it would be cool if Chester could learn to change at will!" the witch points out, excited.

"That comes after controlling the basics," Milard points out. "We'll head for Lone Valley when everyone's finished eating."

I've eaten all I can take... I push my plate away and sit back to show them that I'm finished. One by one, the others finish as well. We stand up, and Mint begins grabbing the plates.

"Leave them," Cathy says. "Sardon and I will clean up."

"Eehhh?! Me, too?"

"Are you going to make our guests clean, Sardon?"

"W-well... no..."

"Then come on." The doctor takes the plates from Mint and starts gathering up more. Sardon starts helping her, a pout on his face. Wow... Cathy acts so shy around us, but I guess she knows how to deal with Sardon!

"Thank you. We'll be back later," Dad says. "Shall we go, then?"

We exit the city and board the Rheairds. It isn't far to Lone Valley... so we're barely in the air before landing again. We head straight through the valley, towards the cave. There are ropes leading down to the bottom part of the cave here... Dad leads us around, to the place where our powers were in our time. "We should be fine here," he says.

"So what do you want me to do...?"

"Let's start with some basic meditation. We'll all do it with you."

"_All_ of us?" questions the angel, annoyed.

"Why not? It'll be good for us all... We've been traveling a while with no time to clear our minds." He sits down first, and all of us follow. "Start by allowing your body to relax completely..."

Just... relax? Okay... I lean against the wall and try. I can't tense up at all... I need to let that go...

...This is hard...

"When you've got that, relax your mind... don't think about anything..."

Hold on, one thing at a time... Okay, I feel relaxed now... And then I need to clear my mind...? I'll try...

Friezkiel—I can see blood—I can smell it... the red snow... I'm there again... people are screaming, running, pointing at me... All this food, so hard to get... I attack one of them—no...! I feel it in my mouth again—that disgusting taste... I cough to get it out—it won't leave! I'm not... I'm not a...

"Chester!" Someone grabs my shoulder.

"No... no! Leave me alone!" I push them away—I don't want anyone else to get hurt! I don't want... dammit...!

"Chester, calm down. You can't control the wolf if you can't even control your emotions!"

The wolf... that's right... I'm in Lone Valley, sitting down... and I'm shaking... "I can see it... I can see what happened... I-I attacked that child... all of those people were just..."

"If you can remember what happened, then it means that you can take control of it," Milard points out. "I'm afraid all other exercises might result in the same thing..." She offers me a hand. "Are you all right?"

I nod and take her hand; she pulls me to my feet. Dad puts on his pact rings...

"So what are we going to do now?"

"Some light field practice," the summoner explains. "I'm ready to summon Luna whenever."

Luna... the summon spirit of the moon... Now I see what they're doing...

I... have to try... or else more people will get hurt... "...I'm ready."

Mint and Dad both begin concentrating, and magic circles appear under them. I back up—I have to stay far away from them... and I have to stay in control. I _have_ to...!

"I summon thee..." Here it comes... "Come, Luna!" Here it is...! And I feel it—I feel it taking over...! No...! I can't...

"Chester! Snap out of it!"

"Onii-chan... you can fight it..."

They're talking, but who are they talking to? They're a bunch of noisy pieces of meat...

"Aqua Edge!" Magic?! Keh, that's not going to stop me...

"Power Seal!" Ugh... something hits me... I feel weaker now...

"Chester..." Someone's behind me—I spin around and leap at it; the pink one flies back, but my jaw catches the wood it's sitting on—I pull at it, and the meat falls off. "Chester, stop!" I pull at the wood. This keeps that one away from me, right? I pull at it—it snaps in half. "No... No! Chester...!"

I smell... tears...?

"Idiot! You made that for me... don't you remember?! You gave that to me... how could you just destroy it?!"

She's loud... and noisy... She's...

Arche...!

I destroyed... her broom... the one that I made for her... I touch it with my paw.

Wait... do I... have control...? I... don't feel an urge to attack them anymore... I feel... hungry? And I can smell them all... they're watching me.

I don't... have to attack them. I can... control this... I just can't lose it...

I turn around and walk away from them; maybe they'll understand... I'm sorry for attacking all of you...

"Chester... do you... have control now...?" Cless questions, and I can hear him walking over to me.

"Yeah..." I wonder if they can hear me...? "Hey, can you hear me...?"

None of them answer; they all walk over, one by one. I turn around to stare at them, and find that all except Dhaos are grinning.

"We knew you could do it, Chester!"

"Come on..." Milard beckons, holding out her hands. "You're not done yet... not until you're comfortable around people like this."

No... I feel like I might lose it at any moment, like I might attack them...

"Would you rather us pet you?" taunts the woman. Keh...!

Fine... I slowly walk over to her. What if I... lose control...? I've already hurt Milard once...

This is weird, walking on four legs instead of two... It's actually easy to keep my balance, though, since I have more legs to support me...

I'm standing right in front of Milard now... She holds her hands out, right in front of my nose. That smell... it's...

I turn my head away.

The woman pats my head, saying, "It's all right, Chester. You're doing great... You won't hurt anyone else."

That's right... I don't have to... hurt anyone... anymore...

I just... have to control this...! I can't lose it now...!

**Chester has received the disgraceful title of Bloodthirsty Werewolf. It is a title given to him by himself... for a dangerous wolf form he cannot control.**

**Chester gained the title of Phoenix Fighter. He rises again from his ashes of despair... ****this time ****to**** fight himself. His goal: for others to be safe.**

**Cless learned Demonic Swallow Kick.**

**Ami learned Toss Hammer.**

**Milard learned Resist.**

**Dhaos learned Dragon Crush.**

**Chester joined the party.**


	52. VIP Friend

**Sorry again for the wait! It seems like I had some important announcement to make with this one... but I can't remember it. Oh well, guess it wasn't that important (I'm becoming like ****Grune!).**

**OH RIGHT! I could be wrong on the meanings of those... '****angelic**** words'. They're actually Norse words... If anyone knows the real meaning of any of them, please let me know!**** Especially ****Fenrisulfr****... I couldn't find the meaning of that one anywhere. At least with the others I know I got part of it right...**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Tales of games. They are owned by Namco.**

**--****VIP Friend****--**

_"I'm calling you all... come to me... We'll take this... for all of us who are lost... for all of us who are forgotten... Come, my wolves... to my land. __To my destiny...__ My name is Merilynn... Princess Merilynn of Fenrir..."_

I can see her—crouched in the snow near Friezkiel, a young woman now... Wolves are gathered around her; she doesn't notice me, as her back is to me. "Let's go visit him, shall we?" Merilynn asks the wolves. "That man that is the reason for my pain... for these long thirteen years of hiding..." Her body begins changing...

"Ch-Chester! C'mon, don't faint on us!" Arche calls out. Huh...?

Oh right, I'm in the cave at Lone Valley... and I'm a wolf...

Something feels good... and soothing... I wonder what that is? It's on my head... Now there's another one on my back. What is that...? Wait a sec... are they...

...petting me?!

I try to yell at them—instead, a growl comes out of my throat. They stop petting me and laugh; hey, it's not funny!

"Onii-chan, can I pet you?" my kid sister asks. Ami wants to... Keh, but only her... I turn my head to try to show her that I don't care. "Yay!" She starts petting me. That feels kinda nice, actually... "Wow, you're so soft...!"

"How are you feeling, Chester?" Milard questions as she bends down next to me. "Do you feel like you have control?"

I'm not sure... I guess... I nod.

"We'll keep it like this a few minutes so that you can get some exercise," Dad says. "It'll be even harder when the full moon comes... just be prepared for it."

I nod.

Ami starts scratching behind my ear. Wow, that feels really good...

Everyone pauses what they were doing, staring at me. What's their problem?! Milard reaches over towards my ear—I growl. I'm not a do—hey, that feels nice... They suddenly start laughing. Wha?! "Hey, what's so funny?!" Keh, they can't understand me...

The meerkat begins rubbing behind my ear. I don't know why, but... I kinda... like that...

"So you don't like being pet, eh...?" taunts the half elf as Milard stops.

Eh?! Keh, I don't! I growl again—someone scratches behind my ear again. That really _does_ feel relaxing...

H-hey, they're laughing again! I think they're laughing at me... I glare at them.

"Sorry, Chester!" apologizes my best friend; he, Mint, and Suzu are at least _trying_ not to laugh... and the snake is just as cold as ever. Wait, I think he _is_ a little amused by this...! Why that...

The power of the moon slowly disappears—Luna returns to Dad's Moonstone Ring. My body easily shifts back to human form. I stand up, glaring at my companions as I do so. "Okay, what the heck are you all laughing about?!"

Keh, now they're laughing _more_!

"Onii-chan really _is_ a cute wolf!"

"I am not!"

"You really like being scratched behind the ear, it seems," observes my father.

"I do not!"

"Yes you do!" most of them chorus, laughing.

"S-shut up! Let's just go!" Keh...!

"Right... we should give our regards to Sardon and then head back to find Martel," Cless suggests.

"Oh yeah, about Martel..." I guess it's time to pass on the information Fenrir and Kalinthra gave me... "Martel Yggdrasil, the half elf... is only a small part of the goddess Martel."

"How do you..."

"Fenrir told me—don't worry, she only wanted to talk." Talk... I wonder if Arche still... "She's _almost_ as talkative and annoying as Arche!"

"H-hey! I'm not talkative and annoying, you stubborn and prissy boy!"

"I am not! Ditz!"

"Angsty!"

"Brat!" Keh, I hate her...! But... she's arguing with me again, like everything's normal...

I'm glad... Thank you, Arche...

"Chester, Arche..." Cless calls out. Going back to the previous subject, he continues, "We still need to take Martel to the unicorn, right? We promised..."

"We also need to go back to that time period for the weapons Ifalde's making," Dad reminds us. Oh yeah...

"But it'll take the dwarves a while to make all of them, right? We have nine people..." I point out.

"Should we wait to finish everything in that time period at once, then?" questions the cleric.

"Yeah. We'll head back there after doing some other things..."

"But what else do we have to do?" the steed asks. "We still need to find out more about our enemies..."

"Fenrir said... that they were all gods from the start..." I tell them. "We may not be able to beat them..."

"Then we should at least find a way to restore mana to the giant trees, which is another thing knowing more about Martel would do for us," Milard adds. "But if it takes many lives to give mana to the tree, we have a problem..."

"...Year 2556..."

"Eh?!"

"Kalinthra of Heimdall sought me out..." I tell them. "She told me to go to that time... It seems odd that she'd tell me to go there for no reason, though the only reason _might_ be because of Merilynn..."

"Oh right, you wanted to go heal her, didn't you?" my best friend remembers. "We need to give Ifalde-san some time, so why don't we head to visit Merilynn first?"

"Might as well... Let's drop by and give Sardon and Cathy our farewells."

Well, it's decided. We know where we're going... even if it is a little out of the way. Keh, we're not any closer to our goal...

We leave Lone Valley and—huh? Dad's handing me back the wing pack... "I trust you won't run off on your own this time?"

"...Yeah." They still trust me... thanks...

I open up the capsule and the Rheairds jump out; we hop back on them and fly back to Euclid, landing just outside, near Sardon's house. He's outside, waving us down with a large grin on his face; his wife and cat are standing next to him. Once we're on the ground, he, Cathy, and their cat Trinedy hurry over to us.

"How'd it go?!" demands the researcher, excited.

"Pretty well. Right, Chester?"

Yeah, I suppose it did... "Yeah. I was able to control my wolf form..."

"Wow! That's so cool! Can I see?"

"I can't change on my own yet..."

"We'll wait, then," Cathy speaks up. "Please... show us at some point..."

"You don't really smell human... you're a wolf...?" Wait a sec, I don't recognize that voice... it's female...

"Who said that...?"

"Who said what?" the steed questions.

"Didn't you hear it?"

"No...?"

"It came from me! Down here!" I glance down to find the white cat. Eh...?

"...You're joking, right?"

"What's wrong?"

"Not only can I hear wolves talk, but I can hear _all_ animals talk...?"

"You can hear Trinedy...?" questions the doctor.

"I think so... Right, kitty?"

"Hm? My name's Trinedy..."

"...Yeah, I can..."

"Wow, Onii-chan! That's so neat!" Ami speaks up. "I wish I could talk to animals!"

The ability to talk to animals... I didn't get any magic or anything, but I got better senses and the ability to talk to animals... is that my tradeoff for becoming a wolf every night...? I would rather... not have any of this. I'd rather be human...

But... I can't change it. Not right now, anyway... Maybe there is no cure, maybe there is... But for now, I guess... "I can be a translator if you want," I offer to my sister.

"Really?" she questions; I nod. "Yay!"

"We really should be going soon..." mutters Dad.

"Okay. We'll try this out when we get our own cat, then?"

"Now hold on... We're not getting a cat."

"Sure we are! You just don't know it yet," I joke.

"We'll discuss this later. For now... Cless?"

"W-wait!" Arche calls out. "I still need a new broom..."

Oh right... I destroyed her broom...

"That's what you fight with, right...?" Cathy questions. "The Arche of this time gave me one of her old ones... I'll go grab it for you..."

"Thanks!"

Cathy hurries off, back to her house.

"So where are you guys headed off to now?" Sardon asks, just as excited as ever.

"The year 2556, when the War of Ancient Civilizations was going on," Dad explains. Whoa, really? Oh right...!

"That's right, Merilynn and her friends are caught up in that stupid war... They're all the rulers of the different kingdoms." Maybe Merilynn's visiting Sauound, if she's in the outskirts of Olive...

"Wow! Be careful!"

"We will."

Sardon's wife returns, the broom in her hands. "Here you go, Arche... and I found a spell book next to it."

The witch happily takes the broom and spell book. "Thank you! I can't wait to start studying this!"

"Oh great, Arche got a new spell... we're all doomed," I joke. "Ow!" She stomped on my foot...!

"Right... We'll be back later!" Cless promises. "Where to, Chester?"

"Outskirts of Olive, January 30th, 2556."

The swordsman nods and holds up the Eternal Sword. "O powerful and mighty Sword of Time... Take us to the outskirts of Olive on January 30th, 2556!"

"See ya!" I call out as I wave to the Lesters. Blue light surrounds out group, and we teleport through time and space.

_"Now I see... There is no past... there is no future... there's only now. I've lost... everything... How can I gain anything back in a place with only nothing...? All I can do... is __wait__ here... forever..."_

We land in the desert sand. Not too far away, I hear armies... But... what was... "Did you guys hear that voice?"

"Yeah... what was that?" questions Cless.

"I wonder where it came from..." the dove agrees.

"Hey!" Arche yells. That idiot...! "Is anyone—mmh!" I grab her, putting my hand over her mouth, and pull her back.

"Idiot...!" I hiss. "I hear fighting nearby!"

"Where is it...?" Dad questions; I let go of Arche and point. We silently move over that way; we're in the cliffs of the mountains east of Olive...

Down below us, we see a battle going on. Fenrir knights versus Odin knights... The Odin knights look to be winning this battle.

My eyes spot a knight swinging his sword down on a blonde man—the knight's suddenly shot by a laser. Both me and the young man turn to look at where the laser came from. Standing there is a young man with short, white hair, proudly holding his gun up. I think that's what that thing's called, anyway... "You okay, Sauound?"

"Yeah, thanks, Chris!" Wait, Sauound?! I turn to look at him again—I see his back as he fights another knight.

I glance around, at all of the fighters. Sauound's here, fighting the Fenrir knights... is Merilynn here? But... Sauound and Merilynn are friends...!

Ah! There she is...! I see her back, but I'm almost positive that it's her...!

"Hey!" someone calls out. "You there!" Ack, I think he means...

A group of Odin knights surrounds us. Great... just great... "Are you spies for Fenrir?!"

"Sir, they're mostly women and children..."

"They all have weapons! And Fenrir is lead by a queen," the first knight replies. "Let's take them in for questioning!" Keh...! They're not taking me—

Dad holds his arm out to stop me from raising my bow. "We'll be better off if we keep out of the conflict," he whispers. He's probably right, but...

The knights take our weapons. I don't like this... Wait a sec...!

"My name is Chester Barklight," I tell them. "I know Prince Sauound."

"You do, eh...? We'll ask him if he knows you once he's back, then. Come on!" They lead us away from the battle, towards a castle next to a volcano. Wow...! I guess that's where Sauound lives...! Isn't he worried about the volcano erupting, though...?

We soon enter the castle gates; there are knights all around, keeping guard in case of direct attacks on the castle. Wait, but their prince is out in the battlefield! Aren't they worried about that...?

Inside, they lead us down the bright orange and white halls... I bet they're taking us to the dungeon...

"Those people can't seriously be captives," the voice of a young lady speaks up. We all turn to see a young woman with wavy, blue hair flowing down around her body. She has kind blue eyes that match her hair perfectly, and her purple and white dress has many laces and jewels; she's definitely of the upper class... "Most of them are women and children."

The head guard looks annoyed. "They were carrying weapons on them, Lady Hope. The archer claims to know Prince Sauound, but he could easily be lying."

"Eh? A friend of Sauound's...? What's your name?"

"Chester Barklight."

"I've never heard of you..." Keh, great...

Eh? That Chris guy is hurrying this way... "Hey, what's going on here?!" Chris calls out. "I need some people on the magitech weapon, quickly!" Magitech weapon?!

"Yes, Sir!" A few of the guards leave.

"Are these prisoners? What are you doing standing around for? Take them to the dungeon and get back to your positions!"

"Wait, Chris..." Hope stops him. "Have you heard the name 'Chester Barklight' before?"

"Huh? Hm..." He pauses a minute, thinking. "Oh yeah... Sauound mentioned that name thirteen years ago—he was that weird guy that randomly teleported without warning..."

"I'm not weird!"

"Eh? Y-you're that guy?!"

"See there?" Hope asks the guards gently. "It seems he really _is_ a friend of Sauound's... If anyone would know, Chris would."

"Y-yes! Please make yourselves comfortable—Hope will show you around. Sorry we can't do much right now, but it's a little busy out..." As Chris talks, the guards hand us back our weapons. Nice...!

"We can tell. Please, don't let us hold you."

"Thanks. I'll see you later, then!" With that, he hurries off down the hall.

"...He's going to use magitech, isn't he...?" Dhaos sounds pretty annoyed...

"Most likely, but this is the way things ran their course. We should get involved as little as possible," Dad mutters to the angel.

"I know."

"So, shall I show you around then?" offers our guide. "Oh! I almost forgot... My name's Hope. What are your names?"

"I'm Chester; this is my dad, Klarth; my little sister, Ami; Cless; Mint; Suzu; Milard; and Dhaos."

"Hey, what about me?!"

"Oh yeah, and the loud one's Arche."

"Wha?! Hey, at least I stay happy and don't go all angsty!" quips the witch, angry.

"At least I don't constantly annoy everyone!"

She glares at me, and I glare back.

Hope... giggles?! "My, you're all so lively! We haven't had this much cheerfulness in a while!"

"I guess everyone's busy with the war?" the tiger inquires.

"Yes... We're all doing our best, for the country of Odin."

"The country of Odin, hm... Could you tell us some about the country?"

"Eh? What country are you from...?"

"We're from a small island off the coast of the country of Thor; however, we have no alliances with any country, and we'd prefer to keep out of the war," Dad quickly lies. Where did he pull that from so quickly...? Oh wait, he's a history teacher... that might explain it.

"I see... Well, we should not stay standing. I'll show you to the lounge, where we shall talk further." With that, Hope starts walking, and we follow behind her. She leads us through the halls of the castle. Before long, we reach a large room. Everything's so bright in here... and that smell... it smells like flowers... Anyway, the carpet is light orange, while the rugs on top of them are a deep red. There are three couches and a few other chairs, and all the velvet on them is a rich earthy brown. Next to each of the seats are small tables, orange in color, and on top of one is a silver platter with only crumbs on it. All of the furniture is lined in gold. There's a fireplace that's already lit up, keeping the room a nice, cozy temperature. The walls are a same creamy color as the hall walls, and there are large paintings hanging over them. Hey, that painting on the far wall... it's Odin...! The god Odin, I mean...

We all sit down; Cless and I sit down on a couch, and not even a second later, Ami sits between us. Heh, I guess she's still trying for Cless...

...I wonder... if she's scared... of me...

I can't think of that right now; we have other things to worry about.

Such as why the heck Kalinthra threw us in the middle of a battle! First her diary jumps out at us and puts a curse on Arche, and now this?! Geez, is she really trying to help, or is she just out to kill us?!

Speaking of, what is that curse?! Next time I see Kalinthra, I _have_ to ask her!

"So what is it you wish to know?"

"The start of this war was for land, correct?" my father questions.

"Yes... but even more than that, Yggdrasil," Hope explains. "As of now, the great tree is on Thor soil... Once they finish the magitech generator they are currently working on, they will be able to control mana. And when that happens, they will have all but won the war."

"Because of magitechnology?"

"Precisely."

"The kingdoms formed a long time ago, correct?"

"Yes. It was long after their formation that we started developing magitechnology. Then tensions grew... I've actually never seen the world at peace, but I'd like to see it. I believe... the only way that that'll happen is if Aselia is ruled by only one kingdom," the woman says, staring up. "So... I will support Sauound to the end."

"The kingdoms of Odin, Thor, and Fenrir... and the elf colony of Heimdall. I assume they were named after their respective gods?"

That would make sense...

"What are you talking about? There's only the goddess Martel."

...Wait... "What?"

"Well, according to research from our institutes, most of the other gods we believed to be do not exist... The only proven god is Martel." Only proven... so were the gods around at this time...? There's no telling...

"What about Odin, Fenrir, Thor, and Heimdall?" questions Cless.

"You mean the countries?"

"No, the gods..."

"I've never heard of gods by those names..." our hostess says, confused. "Our country's names were based off of an ancient angelic language... they were among the few words we could decipher from it."

"No wonder..." I hear Dhaos mutter. Angelic... he's an angel...

"You know something about this?" I question.

"She's no doubt talking about the ancient Mithan language, as it's known in our culture. I've studied it to some extent... I admit, I was confused as to why your gods names were so similar to words from it."

"'Odin' is derived from the word 'odr'," explains Hope, "which we believe means 'mind' or 'poetry'."

Dhaos nods. "It can also mean 'fury' or 'excitation', depending on its use."

"So they all came from this angelic language...?" Milard questions. "What do the rest mean...?"

"'Thor' means 'thunder', not that that's much of a surprise..." mutters the snake. I hate to admit it, but he's right about that not being a surprise... "'Fenrisulfr' means 'wolf', and 'heimdallr' means 'protector of the home'."

"Eh? Do you work for a research institute, Dhaos-san?" Hope asks. She has no idea...

"No. I studied it... on my own..."

"...Somehow, you don't really strike me as the studying type," Arche pipes up, which causes the angel to glare at her.

"You should consider working for one... Chris would be so excited if he knew you learned that much on your own!"

"Chris is important in the research institutes?" Dad inquires.

"Yes. Not only is he Sauound's best friend, but he's also the head of all research institutes in the country of Odin. He's well-known all over Aselia, from what I hear. Haven't you heard of him...?"

"Well, 'Chris' is a popular name, so I don't know."

"Oh, pardon me. His full name is Christopher K. Lester."

"...You're kidding." I don't believe this... "_Another_ Lester?!"

"Oh, have you met relatives of his?"

Right, she doesn't realize that we're from the future... "Something like that..."

She tilts her head, confused. This isn't good...

"Hope-chan," Milard speaks up. "We've been traveling for a while... would it be possible to have some snacks while we talk?"

"Oh...! R-right, I'm sorry." She stands up and hurries over to the empty tray, which she picks up. "I'll be back shortly with some snacks..." With that, she walks out of the room.

"...We're going to have to be more careful if we don't want anyone to know where we're from," Dad says once she's out of earshot.

"Hey, is that painting bothering anyone else?" questions the weasel as she motions to the painting of the god Odin.

"Yes, I was going to bring that up as well..."

"What's so special about the painting?" questions my sister.

"Oh right! She said they only know of the goddess Martel... so wait..."

"...How can they have a painting of the god Odin if they don't know he exists...?" Suzu asks for me.

"Exactly," Dad says. "We're missing something... Also, the origin of the names of our gods comes from an ancient language used by the angels. I would guess that it was used around Martel's time... meaning that the gods either weren't around or weren't named then."

"Fenrir said they've always been around, but... she _has_ been known to lie..." I add.

"Hm... this trip may be closer intertwined with our objectives than we thought. Just what were these gods of ours...?" Dad asks. "We should probably inquire more about the kingdoms... They weren't named after the gods, which makes me wonder... Were the gods named after the kingdoms, then? Were they around before now? And just who is the person in the painting?"

"Do you think that might be Odin, before he became a god?" suggests Cless.

"If Fenrir was lying, then that is a possibility. However, we can't rule out that they may have the ability to choose their form, like the summon spirits. If that's the case, then he may have just chosen to look like that person for some reason."

"There's something else that bothers me..." mutters the rune caster.

"Yeah, me too," agrees the summoner. "Let's see what other information we can get about these three kingdoms."

That smell... "Hope's on her way back... and she has cookies..."

The others laugh. "Aww, no meat for the wolf?" taunts Arche.

"Shut it!"

Hope returns, the silver tray of cookies in one hand, and a tray of clear glasses of water in the other. "Sorry for the wait! I forgot to ask you what you wanted to drink... If you want something besides water, please let me know."

"Water's perfectly fine," I say.

"Yes. Thank you, Hope-san!" agrees my best friend as the woman passes out the drinks to all of us. She puts the tray of cookies on the small table next to me.

"Onii-chan, can you pass the cookies?"

"Sure..." I reach for the tray—"Ow!" Keh, pure silver...

"Are you okay, Chester-san?" questions our host.

"Yeah, perfectly fine... it's something from earlier..." As I lie, my sister stands up and grabs the tray of cookies herself.

"Be careful, Onii-chan!"

"Yeah, thanks..."

"Well, nice to know that we have someone that can detect pure silver," Dhaos says. "Too many people try to scam you with fake silver..."

"I am _not_ a silver detector! And it's not funny!" Keh, they're laughing!

Our host looks confused again. "Silver detector...?"

"Long story. Anyway..."

"Right. Can you tell us some more about the kingdoms...?" questions my father.

"Well... all of us except the elves are racing to develop the best magitechnology. I hear they're developing a time machine in Thor... and they've already captured and contained Aska, the spirit of light. Plus they have control of Yggdrasil right now... I fear that they'll overpower us and Fenrir before too long..."

The door opens and Chris enters, an excited grin on his face. He holds a thumb up. "Fenrir's army... has retreated!"

"That's wonderful!" Hope exclaims, sounding relieved. "How's Sauound...?"

"He's resting. I told him he had guests, but he doesn't want to see them yet... He'll probably see you tomorrow. Hope, when you're done here, will you show them to the guest chambers?"

"Sure... where are you going, Chris?"

"To take care of our _dear_ prince," he says mockingly, a joking grin on his face. He waves at us and then ducks out of the room, while Hope silently watches his retreat.

"...You like him, don't you?" Mint speaks up.

"E-eh?!"

"Yeah, I could see it all over your face!" agrees the witch. "You should take him!"

"W-well..."

"Hey, what's going on?" I whisper to Cless.

"Beats me..."

"You two are slow!" Ami says with a giggle.

"What's going on, did you ask? I'll tell you what—Hope's in love with Chris!"

"Eh?! Really?!" The woman turns even redder. Hey wait a minute... "Wait, how'd you three know?" The girls start laughing at me. Keh...!

"Boys are _so_ dense!"

"Hey, we are not!"

Milard sighs. "I guess all logical conversation's gone out the window now..."

Hope giggles. "That's fine. It's more fun this way, right?"

"Yes, I agree," says Mint.

"Yep yep! Logical conversation's no fun!"

"Arche, have you _ever_ tried having a logical conversation...?" Heh, Dad beat me to teasing her!

"H-hey, I have!"

"Well then, shall I show you to where you will be staying?" questions our hostess with a giggle.

"Yes, that'd be great," answers the meerkat as we all stand. Hope leads us through the bright halls, past many people hard at work. We reach a pair of large, white and gold doors, but there are some guards talking right in front of them.

"...dispatch your team. We have to find them all quickly!"

"What's going on?" I question.

"Who are you?!"

"Guests of Prince Sauound," Hope quickly inputs.

"Hm... fine. I suggest you stay inside—there are still some Fenrir warriors afoot."

Fenrir warriors... Merilynn was in the battle! I wonder if she's still around...!

The guards walk off, and Hope turns to us. "Well, your area is just past these doors. If you need any help, I'm not far away. Just back were we came from and take the first right; I'm at the end of that hall."

"Thank you. I think we'll rest now," Dad says.

"I'll come let you know when Sauound's ready to see you!"

"Thanks." We wave to her and watch as she hurries down the hall. Fenrir warriors... "You guys thinking what I'm thinking?"

"Let me guess: you want to search for the Fenrir warriors," Cless says. "We _did_ come here to find Merilynn, right?"

"Right! So, let's get searching!" The others nod in agreement, and we walk through the long halls, back the way we came. I think I'd get lost if I went another way... We pass through the lounge again, on our way to the exit. There are already maids here cleaning up... Everyone's so busy around here!

There are the big gray doors that lead outside... I push—wow, they're actually a lot easier to push open than they look!

"Well, it's all desert around, so it shouldn't be too hard to find them, right?" I question.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that..." Suzu speaks up. I hope it's not too hard to find them...

We're in the year 2556, right? And I knew Merilynn from the year 2541... I wonder how much she's changed over fifteen years...

**Chester gained the title of Lap Dog. You like being ****pet****, even if you won't admit it to anyone!**

**Chester gained the title of VIP Friend. You're lucky to know the prince of Odin!**

**Dhaos gained the title of Well-Studied Angel. It is a title given to one who has studied ancient angelic languages.**

**Klarth gained the title of Ancient Lineage. It is a title given to one with many ancestors over thousands of years.**

**Arche obtained the Judgment Spell Book.**


	53. Nightmare

**Sorry for taking so long to update! I've been busy... I'll try to update the next one sooner! Again, sorry...**

**If you're wondering about the final title, it's for a Christmas present that Starry-chan made for me!**

**--Nightmare--**

We travel through a mountain path, towards the city of Olive. I guess that'd be where the knights of Fenrir would either attack or station themselves, right? There's a gap of mountains between the city and the castle, but that probably keeps Sauound and his family safer. But I guess it doesn't help at all that there are monsters on the pass... I can smell them clearly. "Hey, watch out—there are daemons around!" The others nod and prepare their weapons, glancing around as they walk.

A pair of flying daemons charge us—I swiftly shoot at one, knocking it off course, while Cless easily moves out of the way and swings his sword at the other. Both fall to the ground, but they quickly pick themselves back up. Two land creatures—basilisks—charge forward as well. Ami, Cless, Suzu, and Dhaos take the front lines, while I shoot another arrow at one of the fliers. Behind me, the spell casters begin charging up. One of the birds charges me—

I aim to use Eagle Shot—no, too close! I don't have time...!

Right, I'll try something new! "Take this!" I spin around as wind shoots up in a spiral around me. "Aerial Laser!" I release the arrow straight into the enemy as he's stalled from the sharp wind. Perfect!

"Power Seal!"

"Ghost Blade!" Suzu calls out as she concentrates. I wonder what that does... She then attacks. Wait, is it just me... or has she somehow gotten _faster_...?

"Dragon Crush!"

"Sharpness!"

I aim at another enemy—the one Ami's fighting this time.

"Dual Punishment!" She spins in circles, her hammer out, and hitting the monster away from her—I change my aim to accommodate.

"Gale Shot!" The basilisk dies, and my sister happily turns to me with a thumb up.

...Yeah... I guess she did good in that battle... I nod and aim at the one Cless is fighting now. I shoot—

"Earthquake!" Arche calls out. Whoa...! Aww, she made me miss the enemy! Keh...

"I summon thee... Come, Gremlin's Lair!"

...Is that what he's calling the gremlins? What kind of name is _that_...?

All six of them jump out, the power of the Jade Ring supporting them. They surround one of the birds and jump up at it, slashing at it with their claws. Wow...! Those gremlins are pretty powerful... The bird dies in no time, and the gremlins return to the pact ring. Just two enemies left!

I shoot another arrow at the basilisk—it dies.

"Nurse!" Oh, were some of us hurt? I'm glad we have Mint to watch our backs...

"Suzu!" Ami calls out. "Let's do that one we talked about!"

"Right!"

Huh...?

Suzu jumps in the air while Ami holds her hammer out—she steps forward and goes into Dual Punishment while Suzu comes down with Crow Blade—"Spinning Punishment!" The bird falls back, dizzy. That's enough to make anyone dizzy...!

"Pyre Seal!" Milard's attack finishes the thing. All right!

"You're getting stronger, Milard," Dad compliments her.

"Of course! I have to watch you for when you rush straight in to battle."

"H-hey, I fully assess the situation first..."

"Klarth, do I need to mention how much form you lacked in that battle?"

"It wasn't that bad..."

I can't help but laugh—poor Dad! Some of the others join me. "L-let's go!"

"Yeah, yeah! You just don't want to admit that you got owned!"

"I did not. Besides, I had better form than _some_ people!"

"Nuh-uh, don't turn this to me! I did fine!"

"Did you even notice that you got hurt, Chester-san?" questions Mint.

"I-I did?" Now they're laughing at _me_... "I bet my form was better than Arche's!"

"Hey, how would you know?! I didn't get hurt!"

"You were behind me!"

"See?! So you couldn't have seen my form!"

"But it's you. Since when did you do _anything_ right—ow!" She hit me with her broom...

"Spineless moron."

"Wow, you actually came up with a new one! I'm impressed!" I tease.

"Hey, what's that—"

"Let us hurry on, before you two give the rest of us headaches," Dhaos speaks up. He turns and starts walking away. ...Wha?!

"Hey, since when did you act like a part of the group?!"

"I did not mean it like that. However, you two always argue without any thought to the rest of us or the mission at hand."

Keh, I think I know what annoys me so much about him... he always talks like he's better than me!

Everyone else starts following him. Hmph... I follow as well. I hate Dhaos...

The trail disappears into flat desert just ahead... we quickly reach it. I wonder where the Fenrir knights will be...

We notice Olive knights patrolling the area—they charge towards us. Wait a sec...

"We found them! These must be the Fenrir knights!"

"But they're mostly women and children..."

...Not this again...

"We are guests of Prince Sauound," Cless speaks up. "Since we are also warriors, we decided to help search for the Fenrir knights."

"My, what brave children..." Eh?! Where'd that voice come from...?

"How can we know that you're telling the truth?!"

"We just came from the castle! Hope showed us around... We met Chris, too!"

The knights hold up their swords and shields, in fighting position. Keh...

"Cless, I don't think they're going to listen to us."

"Humans are so irrational..." I hear Dhaos mutter. A second later, the knights yell out and charge at us—Cless, Ami, and Suzu hurry up to meet them, while Mint casts Barrier. I aim at a knight an shoot—keh, stupid armor!

I aim again—"Piercing Line!" All right—it knocks two knights back!

"Nightmare!" Runes charge forward from behind me, hitting a section of knights. Those knights fall asleep. Wow...!

"Stalagmite!"

"Debris Fall!"

Earth comes from above and below the group of knights, thanks to Dhaos and Arche. Heh, that was effective!

"We won, we won!" cheers the witch.

"We have no time to waste," the sparrow says.

"Aww, c'mon! You don't have to be so serious all the time, Suzu-chan!"

"Odin might not like this... we should hurry on quickly," Dad points out.

"They're strong for kids..." I hear another voice whisper.

"We should let them take out some more Odin knights for us; that'll save us the trouble of dealing with them!"

Keh, I won't be used! I've figured out where they're coming from—behind us and a little to the right. I spin around, notching an arrow on my bow and aiming it at the cliffs there. "Come out! I know you're there!"

Someone steps out—a Fenrir warrior, from the looks of it. Though... he's not dressed in armor; he has weapons, but his cloths are made for more flexibility than armor would normally allow. He's wearing a loose shirt and breeches, though all tied at the ends so as not to get caught anywhere. He says nothing—he only stares at us.

"I know there's more," I say as my companions get in fighting positions. I can smell them all... It's hard to tell exactly how many from the scent, but I'd say at least five.

"I don't suggest you bother with us, kid," the man says. "We're Fenrir's top division—try us, and your worst nightmares will come true."

"Sorry, I don't think you could do much worse to me than what's already been done," I challenge. It's true, though... I'm the worst nightmare here.

"Oh well, we warned ya..." Six of them charge at us—we quickly start battling again, same as last time. As the close combat commences, I shoot an arrow at one charging at me. Yes, it hit his shoulder—what the?! He's still coming!

"Acid Rain!"

"Power Seal!"

I move to the side as he swings at me—ow! He kicked me... ack! I barely dodge the sword again. I have to get away from him...! I run, trying to create distance between me and him—

"Toss Hammer!" The hammer hits him on the head, stalling him for a second.

"Thanks, sis!" I quickly notch another arrow and take aim. "Dragon Slayer!" The blast charges at him—it hits, and he falls. All right...! I notch an arrow and aim at another one.

"You just made a huge mistake, boy..." What the?! He's still standing?!

"H-hey, hold it! I hit you too hard for you to be standing!"

The man laughs. "I told you, we're your worst nightmare..." Ah...! He's morphing... he's a werewolf?! The other five jump back out of the battle, and they all morph into wolves, too.

...Heh... My friends and I grin at each other. "Well well, looks like they didn't do their research..." I joke.

"Aww, do the wolfies really think that they're that scary?" taunts Arche.

The wolves growl. "You stupid little brats... we're going to make you pay for making fun of us!"

"Hey Chester, what'd they say?"

"Oh, you know. The usual 'we'll make you pay' stuff. Geez, not only are they copying me, but they're using such over-used lines. They're worse than comparing vampires to zombies—at least they got a _little_ original there!"

Most of them growl louder, but one stops, surprised. "You can... understand us?!"

"What, too wrapped up in your own narcissistic ways that you didn't even notice that I'm one of your kind?" I can't deny it... so... Maybe it'll be easier... if I make light of it, right...?

"You're... a werewolf?!"

"That's right, and my father just so happens to have silver... and be a researcher."

"Don't think you can scare us that easily!"

"Hey Dad, they said they'd be more than happy to help you with some of your experiments!" Heh, this is kinda fun! Dad grins.

"You little brat!"

"Didn't they say that they were Fenrir's top division or something?" Milard questions. "Do they mean Fenrir's top attraction... at the zoo?"

I can't hold it any longer—I laugh. That's great!

"Why you...!" Uh oh, they're riled up—they leap at us.

"Barrier Strike!" The Eternal Sword is in the ground in front of Cless as he and Mint pull off their combo. Nice...!

"Chester, let's do Piercing Light!" the witch calls out as she starts concentrating.

"Right!" I take aim... and shoot! "Piercing Light!" The light arrow goes through one wolf, and light beams hit the rest. Ha! That's perfect, especially doubled with Barrier Strike!

"And what should that one be called...?" I hear Dad mutter.

"How about 'Double Date'?" suggests Milard.

"Hey hey, hold it! Are you trying to suggest that me and Arche are..."

"Well it _does_ fit," Dad argues with me.

"It does not!"

"Don't you think so, Arche-chan?" questions the meerkat.

"Yep!"

"Don't agree with them!"

"Onii-chan, watch out!" Wha?! I turn—ah, one's leaping at me!

"Demon Fang!"

"Demon Fist!"

Blasts knock him away just in time. Whew... "Thanks, Cless."

"Thank you, Cless-san, Dhaos-san!" Ami says happily.

"Keh..."

"Onii-chan! You should thank Dhaos-san for saving you!"

I glare at him. I don't know why, but for some reason... I'm even _more_ annoyed with him now...

"I do not care," Dhaos says coldly. "This was a waste of time—let's get back to the castle."

"Right..." We turn back towards the castle—what the?! There's an explosion—fire and ice shoot out of one of the top windows of the castle, and the ground all around us shakes. Fire and ice rain down around the castle, seeming to fight the whole way down. "That blast..."

"...it was powerful magic..." Arche speaks up.

"Wha?!"

"Haha... you're too late," one of the werewolves says. "Queen Merilynn has succeeded in infiltrating the castle... There's no way you can get there fast enough!"

Merilynn...! "We have to hurry—Merilynn's there!"

"Right! Let's take the Rheairds!"

Oh yeah! I open the pack, and the flying machines jump out in front of me. We all jump on them—I end up behind my sister. Wait, why is she driving?! Oh well, this way I can still fight if I need to... We take off, shooting sand all over the werewolves, and fly towards the castle. It doesn't take us long to get there—whoa! Ami barely manages to dodge another blast of fire and ice.

"Hey, Ami, be careful!"

"I'm trying...!"

I glance in the window. I can see her back again—she's holding a dagger. _"Next time you come back... I __wanna__ learn how to fight! Okay?!"_ Looks like she learned on her own... "Merilynn!"

"It's time for you to die, Sauound of Odin," I hear her say.

"Not before you, Merilynn!"

Wait... but these two... were friends... _"I want to see my friends again..."_

"Fire Storm!"

"Ice Tornado!"

It shoots out again—"Barrier!" Whew...

"Thanks, Mint!" Cless says.

"Guards!" Sauound calls.

"My people have already taken care of them..."

"...Then will we take each other out? What a pathetic way to go..."

We can't get close with all of this fire and ice being slung around...!

"Sauound!" Wait, is that... Chris?! There's another blast—wow, it looks powerful...!

"Is everyone all right?!" I hear Dad call from below.

"Yeah!"

"We're fine over here!"

"What should we do?!"

I glance around—we've separated quite a bit because of the magic...

"Dammit!" I hear someone—Merilynn, I think—say. "So this is your friend, then?!"

"That's right! I'm Sauound's best friend!" There's another blast.

"Onii-chan, I'm going to lower us!"

"Be careful—they don't know we're out here!"

"Why you...! Aqua Laser!" As Merilynn shouts, my sister and I descend towards the window.

"Pull up!" Arche yells—we move out of the way of a water blast just in time. Whew...

I hear Merilynn curse again—wait, I think I hear armor... guards are coming!

"Ice Storm!" There's a blast of ice—ah! A black figure jumps out of the window. "Merilynn!" She lands on the back of a wolf and the dash off, across the sand.

"Hey!" Someone rushes to the window—wait...

"Odin?!" It's definitely him—he has the same blonde hair, same style, same blue eyes... He stares at us, surprised. In his hand, he holds a white staff, and his cloths are made of a fine, green silk.

"More?!" the man demands as a magic circle appears under him.

"Wait, Sauound!" Chris calls. "These are your guests!"

Huh?! "You're... Prince Sauound...?" Cless questions for us.

"That is correct," the young man says. He looks just like Odin... I wonder if Odin choose to look like him on purpose or...

He's staring at me. "Hey. It's been a while, huh?" I wonder if he recognizes me... I haven't changed at all, really, since it's only been a few days for me.

"You're that strange guy who teleported around, right?"

"I'm not strange!"

"Hm... You look the same..."

"I don't suppose we can come in to talk, can we?" Dad questions.

"Oh... right. Please come on in... I'll meet you in the lounge."

We lower the Rheairds. I don't get it... how come Sauound looks just like Odin? And why are he and Merilynn fighting now...?

We land just outside of the castle gates, much to the guards' surprise, and hop off of the machines. I store them in the magical capsule and we silently reenter the castle. Everyone's thinking about this... I guess we'll find out what's going on in a few minutes. Or at least... I hope we figure it out. We walk to the lounge and enter—what the?!

There are tons of guards in here...! Ah... now there are guards behind us as well! Sauound, Hope, and Chris are in here as well, the girl looking worried. Sauound glares at us as we enter. "Give me one reason not to arrest you." How many times are we going to go through this...?!

"H-hold on a sec! Why are you going to arrest us?!"

"You're Merilynn's friend, are you not?" he asks me.

"Yeah, but you and Merilynn are friends, right...?"

"Idiot. Weren't you watching...? We're enemies," the prince answers coldly. "We now fight each other... Merilynn, Kalinthra, Curtis, and me... Only one of us will survive in the end. Whose side are you on?"

"We are on no side," Dad speaks up. "We're simply travelers who wish to stay out of the war."

"If you wish to stay out of the war, then I suggest you have nothing to do with the royal families of any country... but I see that that's unlikely."

"Sauound!" Hope grabs his arm. "They really are kind people... Please let them go. I'm sure they'll do no harm..."

"They're friends with Merilynn, though..."

"I haven't seen Merilynn for fifteen years," I explain.

"About that... how do you look the same...?"

"Eh?! Really?!" Chris stares at me, surprised.

"I... I'm not sure how I was pulled to that time period, but..."

"Something probably pulled Chester to that time fifteen years ago," Dad says. "He wasn't even born by then, to be perfectly honest."

...'Perfectly honest'?! My great-grandparents weren't even thought of by that time! He's just trying to make it sound like we're normal people from this time, I think...

"So," Dad continues, "It's only been a few days for him, and I can assure you that he's quite confused by the changes that have taken place."

"...Very well. Then I suggest you leave the castle at once if you want nothing to do with the war."

"Sauound!" Hope runs over to us and then turns to face the prince. "These are kind and peaceful people... Even if you say no, I'm going to make sure they get to stay here for as long as they like!"

Sauound and Chris exchange startled glances before staring at their friend, surprised. "But Hope..."

"You owe them an apology, Sauound... Would a place to stay be enough...?"

"Yes, that'd be perfectly fine. Thank you, Hope," the summoner says.

"Dinner will be ready soon... feel free to rest as long as you want."

"Thanks." Heh, I like Hope! Well, I guess we can stay here... "I'm hungry."

"You're _always_ hungry," teases Arche. "You going to get fat!"

"I will not!"

"You really have been eating a lot lately, Chester-san," Mint agrees.

"Don't worry, I've already informed them that we have guests, so we'll have a large dinner."

Sauound turns and walks out of the room without a word, and Chris nervously follows his best friend. I guess I'll have to wait until dinner to ask Sauound why he and Merilynn are fighting... if he'll answer. He doesn't seem very happy...

And how are we supposed to find out what's going on with Odin...? I guess we'd have to ask the god himself, but unless he comes to this time, that's unlikely... and I'd prefer it if he _didn't_ come to this time...

Wait... Will Fenrir be able to find me when I turn into a wolf...? Ah! And I'm going to change tonight... Staying at the castle's a bad idea...!

"So where did you guys go earlier?" Hope questions.

"We went to town and had a run in with the Fenrir knights," Milard explains.

"We took out their top division, so you have nothing to worry about," agrees the sparrow.

"Wow...! You're all really strong! Ah..." She pauses, thinking. "A-are you all alright? I can take you to the castle doctors if you'd like—or Sauound! He's a cleric..."

"Thank you, Hope-san, but there's no need to worry. We're all fine, right?" Mint says.

"Yeah!"

"Oh good... I'm glad. Heh heh, better watch out or Sauound and Chris will try to recruit you guys as knights or researchers!"

Heh... "We will. I'd feel _so bad_ denying their most _sincere_ requests," I say jokingly.

"I wonder what sorta things they'd offer us!" Ah great... Arche's mind's going wild again... Keh, she's such an idiot...

"I hope Prince Sauound won't be mad at us for long..." my sister speaks up.

"Don't worry. He may seem cold and quiet, but he'll come to accept you before you know it. He's really a kind person, he just doesn't show it at first. Anyway, I have some things to do before dinner... That's at six o'clock in the dinning hall. You can ask people where I am if you need to talk to me before then."

"Thanks, Hope."

"Please have a nice stay." The young woman waves at us before exiting the room.

"Well... now what?" I question.

"We won't be able to stay here tonight, but we might as well have dinner... as long as we get out before the sun sets," Dad says. "We'll let you keep track of that, Chester."

"We don't need to stick together while in the castle, correct?" questions Dhaos.

"No, I guess we don't. We should probably take this chance to rest and stock up on supplies... Try not to be late to dinner." Hey, he's staring at me and Arche!

"Keh, I'll be there on time!"

"Why are you looking at me?!"

"Need I remind you how you two were _late_ most often to my class?"

"I'll be there before you! You'll see!" Arche declares before storming over to Milard. "Hey Milard, can I have that Judgment spell book now?"

"Sure. Here it is..." Milard reaches into the pack and pulls it out; she hands it to the witch.

"That's the one that Cathy gave you, right? You haven't learned the spell yet?" questions Cless.

"Arche's as slow as molasses..."

She glares at me. "Oh shaddup! I haven't had _time_ to read it yet with all of the running around!" With a 'hmph!', she turns and walks out of the room, the large book in her hands.

"I'll leave the pack in one of the guest rooms if anyone needs anything from it," Milard offers. She also leaves, followed closely by Ami. What should I do while waiting for dinner...? I guess I'll explore the castle or something...

Everyone goes their own ways, and I start wandering through the halls. There are lots of maids around, cleaning the large halls. Everything's very open—large doors that are wide open to bright rooms, huge windows with no covers... Everything's very bright and large. I reach a warp portal that can go up or... there are two going down... I'll try the right down one, I guess. I enter it and it takes me to a new, more closed-off area... Everything's a dark crimson here... In front of me are large, metal doors that are closed. Is this the dungeon...? No, I don't smell anyone on the other side... It smells more like... earth... And I hear something on there, like a strange liquid... Hm... I grab the handle of the door—ow! It's hot...! It's not silver—probably iron—though silver usually feels something like that... Anyway, I better not worry about this door; I don't really have any right to be opening it anyway after almost being arrested three times.

I take the portal back. There's a large clock here... Ack, it's almost six! I guess I should figure out where the dinning hall is... I don't think it's on this hall; I warp up another level and walk around that hall. More big rooms... Geez, does Sauound and his family even _use_ all of these rooms...? I don't think the dining room's up here... I'll try up one more level before heading back down. Huh... this one won't teleport me... Maybe it's broken? Anyway, it's not up there... I go down a few levels, this time taking the other down portal.

...I think I'm lost...

There are people in lab coats around now... Is this where they do research? ...Somehow, I don't think this the right floor, either. But I can ask someone... I walk up to the closest person. "Excuse me, can you tell me where the dinning hall is?"

"Are you a guest? Well, Lester-san will be out of the lab and heading that way soon, so you can follow him." Lester... He means Chris, right?

Ah, there's Chris... and Dad. He _would_ be down here... They're hurrying this way; noticing me, they walk straight over to me while I wait. "Oh, hello again! You're Klarth's son, right? Did you also want a tour of the research section of the castle?" ...He sounds a little _too_ excited about that...

"Actually, I'm just lost."

"Oh... Haha, come on. It's about time for dinner, isn't it? We can have a servant show you around after that if you'd like—though if you want to see this part, I'll be more than happy to show you!"

"I think I'll skip, thanks."

"Chester lacks an interest in research," the summoner explains.

"Aww... that's too bad..." As we talk, Chris leads us up through one warp portal. This is the floor that the lounge is on... I think. "I'm almost done in there for now... After we get a few more things done, they can go without me. Then I can finally have a break... We have to work hard with the war going on!"

"What was that weapon you used, anyway...?" I question.

"Oh, this?" He pulls out the small device. It's a silver color—hopefully iron or something—and the barrel is bulky. It looks to have a few outlets for magic... or is that where it gathers magic? There are magic circles drawn all over it, too. "It's a magitech gun. It's the first one I made, so I'm quite proud of it! It's small, but it can shoot off a ton of energy!"

"Magitech is quite commonly use in the kingdoms, correct?"

"Yep! Well, except in Heimdall... But Princess Kalinthra's only working for peace, and who knows what the king and queen are doing in the elf colony. Oh yeah, and Mizuho doesn't use magitech, either, though they're just a small village."

"Mizuho?"

"Yeah. They're a village that protects Yggdrasil... Though I've heard that they're finally going to officially become part of the kingdom of Thor."

"Does Thor own the whole continent with Yggdrasil on it?" questions my father.

"Yep! Well, all except the area owned by Mizuho... They've managed to stay peaceful somehow! It's in dispute as to who owns Yggdrasil, but it's dangerous for anyone to get near it right now... Once Mizuho joins Thor and they finish their magitech generator, we'll be in trouble... No one will stop Thor then."

Mizuho, huh...? That'd be where Miguel is by our time...

"Well, here we are!" Chris announces as he lets us enter the large dinning room before him. Wow...! This is huge...! The table is long, and Sauound and what looks to be his parents are already seated. Next to Sauound is Hope, who greets us with a smile. Most of the others are here, too... Wait, where's Arche? Keh, she would be running late... We sit down; Chris sits next to Hope, while Dad and I fill in near our friends.

"Are we missing anyone from your group?" Hope questions.

"Arche," we all chorus.

"Who's going to go find her?" Mint questions, a worried tone in her voice.

"Chester," Suzu pipes up.

"Hey, why me?!"

The steed leans over to me and whispers, "Because you have the best senses among everyone here... and a pretty good sense of direction."

Keh... I have half a mind to tell him I got lost in the castle so I won't have to go... Oh well. "Fine, fine... I'll be right back."

She went to read, didn't she? Hm... Maybe she's in one of the guest rooms? I head that way.

I don't even pick up her scent... "Arche?" But I have to be sure; I'm still new to this whole scent thing. Nope... she's not in any of these rooms. Hm... I'll ask a maid. I stop the first one I see. "Hey, have you seen a teenage girl wandering around? She has bright pink hair and strange, clown-like cloths..."

"Hm... Oh yeah! I think I saw her going towards the indoor courtyard."

"Where's that?"

"It's up a level, just above the dinning room."

"Thanks!" All right, that makes things a ton easier! I head over to the warp portals and warp up a level. Now then, above the dinning room would be... Huh, I guess I didn't really go that far on this floor... Ah, here we go!

The courtyard is completely open—no doors leading out to it or anything. The roof has a sky... it looks almost like this place really _is_ outdoors... There's grass all around, and even a gentle breeze... There's a nice, neat stone path for walking on, and there are plenty of fountains and statues to help with the beautiful look. There are benches set up so people can relax here... There are also lots of flowers around... Ami would probably love to come play here. Heh, but she might mess something up, knowing her...

I can smell her scent, but it's not that strong... has she already left? Keh...

I follow the path towards the center of the courtyard; I might as well walk through it, just to be sure. Huh... There's a portal here... It can only be accessed from one side because of the fountains, and it looks like it can be easily closed off. I guess if it wasn't secure, it'd be a good entry point for invaders... I step on the portal.

Within seconds, I'm out in the open, wind blowing through my hair. I definitely smell Arche's scent now... There she is. She's sitting on the top of a castle wall, the book in her lap as she reads. I walk over to her; she hasn't even noticed me yet. Heh heh, I can have some fun with this! I move around so I'm behind her.

...Wait, she's not holding her broom and she's on a ledge... I guess scaring her now might turn out bad... Keh... Fine. "Hey, Arche. It's time for dinner." She slowly stares up at me, as if trying to comprehend what I'm saying. "Come on, we need to eat so we can get out of here before the moon comes out—ack!" She pulls me down so I'm practically sitting on top of her. Wha?! "What the heck are you doing?!" I pull myself back, but she won't let me stand; I'm sitting on the edge of the ledge. Keh...

"We can skip dinner, can't we? Since we don't have night anymore..."

"Arche, stop randomly going crazy on me!"

"What are you talking about? There's no one else here to impress, you know."

"I'm not trying to impress anyone! I'm trying to figure out why you're always so weird!"

"I am not! We were just talking about it!"

"What are you _talking_ about?! I just got here!" What's _wrong_ with her?! "You were reading!"

"Huh...?" She stares at the book in her hands. "No I wasn't..."

Eh...? "...You learned the spell, right?"

"Uh... yeah!"

"Then show me."

"Now?"

"Yes now!"

"Um... Well..." She stands up and picks her broom up off the ground. She floats up in the air and begins concentrating, while I wait. Something doesn't seem right here... "Here goes... Earthquake!"

The castle begins shaking. "Idiot! That's not the one you just learned—you've used it before! And don't use it on the castle! Keh... Didn't you call this one Judgment or something?!" That's what the front of the book says...

"Um... Well..."

"Well what?!"

"I... I started reading it, but..." She looks down, nervous.

This is unbelievable... "Really now?"

"Hey, I did!"

I pick the book up and open it to the first page. "All right, what's the first word?" It's 'the'...

"Um..." She turns red.

"Well?"

"I..."

"You didn't even try reading it, did you?"

"I did! I came up here to read it, but just as I opened it, you came up..."

"You were tuned into the book when I came up! You didn't even notice me!" I argue.

"That's not true!"

"You're making things up again!" Geez, she's enough to give anyone a headache... Why does she go weird like this sometimes?! Let's see, when else has she done this...

The first time was in Tethe'alla, when we were in the library with Lloyd's group... After that, she went weird that time we were traveling to Heimdall, after she looked through that dictionary... Then at the restaurant, when we were trying to order food... The next time was in Morlia, after the night we got drunk... And now, when she was supposed to be learning Judgment...

"Jerk..." she mutters. "Fine, let's go to dinner." The girl walks to the portal, and I follow her. Is there something similar about all of those times...?

I wonder if this has to do with her curse... I should definitely ask the others about it later!

**Milard gained the title of ****Taunter****. What, are you trying to attack? You're going to have to do better than that...**

**Chester gained the title of Nightmare. To normal people, werewolves are something to fear... I am their worst nightmare.**

**Arche gained the title of Crazy Girl. Why does she suddenly make things up?! She makes no sense...**

**Starry-chan gained the title of Fenrir's Artist. It is a title given to one who drew a beautiful picture portraying Teishi ****ni**** Hikkakamasu.**

**Chester learned Aerial Laser.**

**Suzu learned Ghost Blade.**

**Dhaos learned Dragon Crush.**

**Milard learned Nightmare.**

**Ami learned Toss Hammer.**


	54. Nighttime Werewolf

**I am ****soooo**** sorry for taking so long to update! Life has literally been attacking me... (I've been sick for the past week). I had no life before. Why must it suddenly attack me so hard now?**

**Anyway, sorry for the long update! I'll work on the next one after I finish my tests this week and hopefully get that up a lot sooner...**

**Oh yeah! And the Devil's Arm quest has now started! So, another game shall start as well!**

**There are nine Devil's Arms. Only the Fafnir is located as of now. If you want, you may suggest locations for the other eight Devil's Arms. The people who choose the best locations will get titles along with the Devil's Arm being placed in that location. The eight remaining are: Heart of Chaos (staff), Soul Eater (sword), ****Niflheim**** (book), Lunar Eclipse (bow), ****Muspelheim**** (broom), Destroyer (hammer), ****Nidhogg**** (quill), and ****Andvarinaut**** (bracers).**

**Please enjoy the chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Tales of games. They are owned by Namco.**

**--****Nighttime Werewolf****--**

We head back down and into the dinning room, where the others are waiting on us. Sauound looks particularly annoyed... That's never good.

"Eh? Everyone's here already?" Arche exclaims, surprised.

"Yeah. You're late!" I inform her. How is she such a ditz all the time...?!

"S-shaddup! So were you!"

"Nuh-uh. They sent me to look for you." I sit down, and Arche, annoyed, sits down across from me. Everyone finally begins eating; the food's out in the center, and there's a lot...! Heh, someone already put a little bit of all the meats on my plate... They know me too well.

"Itadakimasu," I hear Suzu say before she starts eating. I wonder what that means...

"So?" Sauound suddenly questions. "What exactly brings you to the country of Odin?" Ah... I guess it'd be a bad idea to tell him that he looks just like one of our enemies... And that we're trying to meet up with Merilynn...

"I'm looking for someone," Dad says. Wait, what? He's smarter than that...

"Who?"

"Celsius."

"...Wait, who?!" I question. Our other companions look just as confused as I am.

"And what makes you think that Celsius will appear before a human?" our host continues before taking another bite.

"I already have a pact with Efreet. Thus why we're in the desert..." A pact... So is this Celsius a summon spirit?! Then why haven't we heard about him before...?

"So you're a summoner..." Sauound mutters, thinking.

"Interesting..." agrees Sauound's father. "With someone like this, we might be able to stand up against Thor!"

"That's right! Klarth's one person, and he already has them beat!" Chris cheers.

"Because he can summon Efreet...?"

"Yes," the king picks back up. "Thirteen years ago, the country of Thor captured and contained an inhabitant of the Spirit World. Aska, the spirit of light... However, our spies have informed us that they can do nothing with the spirit, luckily for us."

"But they have no interest in joining any side of the war, correct?" Sauound questions coldly.

"That's correct," answers my father. We continue eating in silence...

Celsius, huh...? I wonder what kind of spirit that one is... And why haven't we heard about him?! I thought we got every summon spirit while we were in the year 6548!

"We need something unbelievably strong to beat Thor and Fenrir," Chris suddenly speaks up. "Even if it's not a summon spirit, maybe we can go after that legendary sword..."

I glance at Cless, who's trying his best to keep a calm look. He's worried, though... The legendary sword most likely means the Eternal Sword, right...? I guess we'll need to hide it in this time, too...

"That is out of the question," the king speaks up. "That sword is nothing but a child's tale—there's no way a sword like that could exist! We need out troops at their stations—we cannot have any of them search for a pirate's legend."

"But what if it _does_ exist?" Sauound speaks up. "It'll greatly increase our chances against our enemies."

"One sword can do no such thing. Honestly, I can't believe you two are still chasing after fairytales at your age..."

This guy would be surprised if he knew what one sword could do...

The king turns to us. "How are you liking the country of Odin?"

"It's a nice country," Dad says.

"...It's a desert..." I mutter.

"Everyone's really bright here!" the swordsman speaks up.

"Are you sure it's not just the sun...?" I murmur to him.

"It's a wonderful place," the dove agrees with Cless and Dad. Keh... "Thank you for allowing us to stay!"

"I hope you consider joining us..." Sauound's father continues. "Hope's told us a lot about your skills. If you were to help us, we'd be sure that you are greatly rewarded."

"Thank you for the offer, but we don't plan on staying long or getting involved with the war. We mainly need time to get our bearings..."

"We can help out around the castle," Cless offers.

"Yes, we have to repay your kindness somehow," agrees the cleric. Oh geez...

"You're a cleric, correct?" he questions Mint. "If you could help heal people, that would help us out a lot."

"I'll do that after dinner, then!"

"Yes, I'll help as well," Milard agrees.

"Thank you... We're already spread thin enough without our knights being injured."

"Merilynn's curses aren't helping..." mutters Sauound.

"Curses?" Like...

"Yeah. She's mastered ancient, forbidden runes and is using them to create new and unusual curses," the prince explains. "She's even created one that hurts our soldiers when we try to heal them."

"She can cure curses, right?"

"I should hope so. It'd be reckless to make curses with no ideas of how to undo them..."

I turn to the others. "Do you think she might be able to get rid of Arche's curse?"

"We still have no clue what it even is..." Milard points out.

What is it... What's the same among all of those times...

The same... A library, a dictionary, a menu... a spell book... Wait a sec... "Hey, after that night that we got drunk, did Arche read something?"

"Yes. Why?"

"Because every time she acts weird, she's read something just before it..."

"I do not act weird!" she argues.

"Yes you do! You make things that never happened up! You didn't even _start_ learning Judgment!"

"I tried, but you came up too soon!"

"You had _plenty_ of time before I went up there! And you were absorbed in the book!"

"I was not—"

"Arche-chan," Milard speaks up. "Can you read this out loud for me...?" The meerkat hands Arche a sheet of paper.

Arche takes it and stares at it, not saying anything. "Arche-chan...?" Mint speaks up.

"Arche-chan, what does it say?"

Arche jumps and stares at us, her face red. "Uh..."

"What did it say?"

"Um, it said..." She turns back to the sheet of paper and starts zoning out again. "Chester..." she mutters.

Wha?! I jump to my feet and storm over to her. I grab her shoulders and shake her. "Hey, Arche, snap out of it!"

She stares at me, confused. "Snap out of what...?"

"I see... interesting..." the summoner mutters.

"That curse definitely seems like Merilynn's style..." agrees Sauound.

"What do you mean?" Arche questions innocently. Keh...

"It seems that when you read, you see visions of _things_ with Chester," Milard explains.

"Why _me_...?"

"Maybe because you're close to Arche?"

"We are _not_ close!" Keh...! What's with all of these people trying to pair us up?! "Now you see that there's nothing going on!"

"Alternatively, maybe she's seeing visions of you _because_ something's going on," Suzu speaks up.

"There's nothing!"

My sister laughs. "Onii-chan is slow!"

"You just noticed?" Arche sounds annoyed...

"I am not!"

"I'm sorry Chester-san, but..." Mint _agrees_ with them?!

"All guys are slow, aren't they?" The witch pipes up.

"I guess so..." Hope agrees with a giggle.

"Eh?!" Chris looks surprised, while his best friend looks annoyed.

"We're not _all_ slow..." Dad takes a bite of his food.

"And you're saying that you're _not_ slow...?" challenges Milard.

"I'm not slow at all. I'm a quick learner."

"Oh geez... Klarth, you're on a completely different subject."

"How so?"

"We're talking about relations with _people_, not academics and research."

"Ah..."

"All guys are slow," Arche concludes. "Keep that in mind, Ami, and don't choose a stubborn one."

"Okay!"

Hope giggles. "You're all quite lively... I hope we can become friends!"

"Yes, that sounds nice," agrees Mint. Heh, Mint and Hope seem to be getting along really well...

Now that I think about it, they're kinda alike... They're both really kind and polite...

I return to my seat with a sigh. "Joke all you want... you girls are _weird_..." I begin eating again.

I should hurry... I can feel the moon...

But where am I planning on going in the middle of a desert? And how am I going to get any sleep...? Keh... I hate this whole werewolf thing...

We continue eating. They're talking about boring stuff now... Well, they're talking about curses and runes and magic... Dad and Chris are leading this conversation. Am I the only bored one here...?

...I think so... The only one else who seems bored at all is Sauound. Haha, Cless is trying to pay attention, but he looks so lost and confused! He shouldn't even bother trying... There's no use keeping up once Dad gets going on magic...

It's coming... I don't have much time left... I stand up. "Excuse me." Everyone grows quiet and watches as I hurry out of the room. Geez, I didn't want that much attention... Where should I go, though?

I need to get out of sight of these people. Quickly... There are the doors leading out...

There's no time! I take off running; I run past the guards and head for the mountain trail. I can't let them see me! And I can't lose control...!

It's here. I can feel the rays of the moon... I fall on my hands and knees as my body shifts in form.

I glance down at my paws. I'm a wolf now... Ugh, I feel a little sick... I can barely tell what's going on around me...

I smell...

"...ester..."

A human... I recognize that scent...

"Chester." A hand touches my head. This human is...

...Suzu...? Wait, what's Suzu doing here...?

"Does it hurt?" the ninja asks as she places a couple of blankets. She sits on one, placing more blankets in front of her, and I lay down on the other blanket. She asked a good question... I still feel a little sick... and very hungry...

"Here," She holds out a meat bun. Heh, I like Suzu! She knows just what to bring! I eat it. She waits while I eat that and a few more that she brought. I'm feeling a little better now! I guess as long as I eat some meat while a wolf, I'll be able to keep control of myself!

"Remember when we fought our darkness?" Suzu questions. What's this about...? I nod. "Do you still have your outfit from that?" I nod again. "That is the symbol of our light... That is the symbol of our victory. Don't ever lose it, no matter how your darkness evolves."

I know that... I know that, but...

"Your wolf form is a symbol of the evil in your heart. Just as this..."—she holds out an ovular tube—"...is a symbol of mine."

I sniff the container. What is it...? It feels dark... She takes it in her hands and opens it up. She pulls out a dagger. It smells like a bone...

"This dagger is known as the Fafnir. It was made from the bone of a greedy dragon, and it can bring the darkness out in those that use it. It is known as a Devil's Arms." She sheathes the weapon again. "There are eight more like it... I've been on the lookout for them ever since before we started this adventure. If we see them on our journey, I would like to hold on to them... so that I can eventually destroy them."

Devil's Arms... The evil in her heart... I'm confused. What's going on...? I give her a questioning nudge.

"...I suppose I have a right to tell you, huh...? After all, you're going through a similar thing..." Suzu pauses. "Once long ago, a demon made nine weapons using the power of darkness. He lost them throughout the world... A group of people collected them with the intent of destroying the weapons. They fought the demon, and as they killed him, most of the weapons were completely destroyed. Only three were even close to looking like what they had once been."

Then what...? I stare at her questioningly.

"...I'll tell you more if we find another."

Keh, figures... I should've known that I wouldn't get the whole thing... Still, I wonder why Suzu has the weapon...

"Are you going to stay here?"

Hm... good question... Let's see... I'm on the mountain pass, though not on the main trail. There are two cacti and high, sharp rocks that only allow for entrance to this area on one side. The main path is above me, but it's steep enough that I doubt anyone will look down. This seems like a pretty good spot! I nod.

"Good. Then we'll come get you in the morning." Suzu stands up and places the rest of the blankets on me. "I'll go make up an excuse for you." With that, she walks off.

Thanks, Suzu...

I'm not tired at all, though... What should I do while waiting for sleep...? Maybe I should train as a wolf—no, I'm afraid that I might lose control if I try that, and the castle and Olive are both so close...

I guess I'll just lay here. How boring...

It's a good thing we finally know what Arche's curse is. But why _me_...? Keh... And would Merilynn really make such a crazy curse...?! Sauound seems to think so, but... I don't think that kid _could_ create such a curse. Plus Merilynn and Sauound aren't friends anymore... They're enemies. Kalinthra's their enemy, too, and it was on her diary...

I smell humans... I'm hungry... so hungry... Maybe I should hunt—

No, I'm not hunting... I'm not...

I lay my head down and close my eyes. I'm just going to try sleeping... I'm doing good so far, right...?

I see it. Friezkiel... the red snow... People afraid as I charge at them... I smell the blood, the fear... It's so cold... and I'm so hungry...

"Chester, it's time to wake up."

Uhn... It can't be morning already... "Not yet..."

"You've already missed breakfast..."

"Just save me some sausages..."

"You're missing the point."

These blankets feel so comfortable... I wish he'd just let me sleep...

"...Chester, don't make me use silver."

Silver... that stuff hurts...

Wait, silver?!

I bolt up. "Okay, you win."

Dad grins—he's kneeling beside me. "I guess werewolves don't like the morning that much, huh?"

"Hm... maybe..." I stand up and take a moment to stretch. "Man, if that's true, then this whole werewolf thing is really gonna mess up my hunting..."

"But your hearing and sense of smell have greatly improved."

"Good point... Well, my first hunting trip after all of this will certainly be interesting."

Dad holds out a plate of sausages and bacon. "Hurry up and eat. Everyone's waiting."

"Waiting...?" I take the plate and start eating.

"Yeah. Sauound and Chris left in the middle of the night, and Hope's determined to go after them."

I swallow the food in my mouth and then frown. "Wait, what happened to not getting involved?"

"Ask Cless and Mint."

Keh... I finish eating and grab my bow and quiver. I follow Dad... wait. "Where are we going...?"

"Hope wanted to meet us at the base of the mountain pass so as to not draw attention. Apparently, the king and queen don't know that Sauound and Chris are missing."

"They'd get in trouble, huh?"

"Precisely."

I can smell them all ahead... I'm getting so that I can pick out everyone's scent, I think. Heh, no one's ever gonna sneak up on me again!

Anyway, they're all standing in no particular shape, with only Arche rambling. No wonder no one else is talking... she's too _loud_ for anyone else to talk! We have all of our equipment—Milard has the pack—so only Hope is weapon-less.

The witch finally shuts up as Dad and I join the group. Hope steps up to speak instead. "Thank you for helping me with this request."

"Any idea where they are?"

"According to the stories, the legendary sword was left on the grave of the warrior's mother."

"So they probably went to a graveyard, then?"

"Yes, but the stories are fairytales for a reason. The hero of them couldn't have existed any time since year 500; before that, we don't know much about the inhabitants of this world. The problem is that any graveyards from that time have been covered up by sand."

"Surely you have some idea of where they could be searching," Dad speaks up.

"There are three oases on the other side of the mountains. We believe that there's an ancient temple locked under the sand by one of them—and an ancient hero has every right to put his mother's grave in a temple. I believe that they'll try there first."

"If they've already been there, then hopefully it won't be too hard to find."

"All right, let's get this over with!" I call out as I let out the Rheairds—I'll pass on getting sand in my boots! Hope hops up on a Rheaird behind Mint, and the rest of us just climb on with anyone—doesn't really matter, right? Cless and I end up on the same Rheaird, with my friend being the driver.

"Let's see if we can find them above ground first!" Hope calls out.

"At least they won't be hard to pick out..." I mutter dryly. "I mean, all that's below us is sand... sand... and more sand. Did I forget to mention the sand?"

"They couldn't have gotten too far..." Cless adds as we fly through a mountain pass. There's oasis number one... I'm shocked—I actually see greenery down there! Actual grass and trees!

We veer to the left and head north. Back to sand... Ah, there's oasis number two. It looks just like oasis number one... Still no Sauound and Chris.

We head further north, over yet more sand. It's so bright... The brightness makes it really hard to look for Chris and Sauound... Are the others now having this much difficulty? They seem find, besides needing to rest their eyes every now and then... But it's blindingly bright...

"Here's the third oasis... I guess either they're not at these or they found the temple," Dad suggests.

"Let's search around the oases for a way into the temple, then," the steed suggests. Keh, more searching...

We land next to the oasis and hop off of the Rheairds. Without a word, we split up and begin searching the area for any sign of a temple. I look around in the grass. I don't see anything yet... I don't smell anything odd, either...

Definitely nothing in the grass; there's barely any of it anyway... I glance down into the water.

Nope... it's just clear water. There are fish down there, but that's about it.

We hop back on the Rheairds and head down to the next oasis, all the while searching for the prince and his friend. I still don't see 'em... Ow, this really hurts my eyes... I take a minute to rub my eyes. Keh...

We land next to the second oasis. I let someone else check the grass this time, while I wander around in the sand. Everything still seems normal...

...Except that horrible stench. What is that...?!

I hear something moving in the sand. A monster, huh? All right... I grab my bow and silently watch an arrow, watching for the enemy. Wait, there are more... That sounds like wings... I think...

Three bats charge at me—I release the arrow at one. Ouch! The other two hit me...

Four small, humanoid creatures crawl out of the sand, three wearing white and one wearing blue. Ah great... "Hey guys? A little help here?" I notch another arrow and aim it up at the sky. "Wild Rain!"

Cless charges straight past me, into the sea of monsters and arrows. "Demonic Swallow Kick!"

All right! I notch another arrow and take aim. "Piercing Line!"

"Heal!" Runes float over me, and my wounds heal up.

"Thanks!" I notch another arrow and shoot.

"Aqua Edge!" Dhaos calls out, and blades of water shoot past me and hit the monsters. Two of the bats are down. I aim at the last and shoot—it falls. All right, now time for the little guys!

"Heal!" Runes envelop the swordsman this time, who has quite a few wounds from the battle.

"Thank you!" Cless hits one of the little guys dead on, and I shoot another.

"Get ready... Spread!" Water shoots up from below them, managing to hit three of the daemons. One falls. Cless hits another and it falls. I shoot one. Keh, it's still standing...

"Pyre seal!" Milard kills one off.

Okay, now it's seriously my turn... I notch four arrows and charge dark energy into them... "Glimmer Shot!"

That got rid of it! I grin happily. "I never miss!"

The others walk over. "There were enemies?" Arche questions, surprised.

"Yeah, but we go rid of them, no thanks to you slowpokes!" I joke. The witch glares at me.

"Is everyone all right?" questions the dove, worried."

"Yes, thank you. Milard took care of us."

"We didn't find anything at this oasis, either..." Dad speaks up. "We have one more to try—I hope that if nothing else, we find Sauound and Chris..."

"Yes... I don't know where else to search if they're not there..." Hope sounds really worried... They are her friends after all, right?

"Well then let's go take a look." I let the Rheairds out of the wing pack and we climb back on them. We ascend into the air yet again and head down towards the final oasis.

I watch the sand again for Sauound and Chris. Still not seeing them... This is a particularly long stretch of sand, too... Keh, it's too bright... I close my eyes.

This is a lot better... In fact, it feels kinda nice, with the wind and all...

Why do we keep coming back to the desert, anyway? In every time period, it seems...

"There's the oasis!"

I open my eyes—it's dead ahead, and we're approaching it quickly. All right, there better be something here!

We land next to the water and I return the machines back to the wing pack. We begin our search.

I still don't smell or hear anything odd... All that's around is sand, too... I hike through the sand, wiping sweat off of my forehead. I'm tired of searching through the sand... And I'm getting hungry...

I'm not finding anything. No Sauound, no Chris, no temple. Nothing. Not even the occasional monsters... I glance at the others. They don't seem to be having much luck, either... I continue my search.

Wait, what's that? There's something in the sand... I walk over to it. A dead monster... which means that someone's already been here.

I'm closer to the ocean now... I can hear it clearly. That brings back some painful memories... Of when I got amnesia, of all of those ship rides... That bounty hunter Jerald, Undine attacking the ship, the shipwreck near Rhea's house...

The ocean... It's pretty close to the oasis... The temple isn't under that, is it...? I start walking towards the ocean. Maybe we can't find it because we're looking in the wrong—"Whoa!" I trip and fall into the sand. Keh... I push myself back up and brush myself off. What'd I trip over...? I glance down. "What the?!"

I'm standing on grey rock. It looks like sand's recently been brushed away from it, and it's surprisingly smooth and rectangular... And those lines... yep, they're cracks. This is a door... a door to the temple! "Hey, guys, I found it!"

My companions come running. "Nice find, Chester!"

"Great job, Onii-chan!"

Dad crouches down to study it. "Looks like it won't be so easy to get in..."

"I'll take care of it!" Arche cheers. Ah great...

"Nuh-uh. You'll end up destroying the whole temple!" I tell her in an attempt to stop her crazy idea.

"I will not! Just watch and see!" She begins charging up.

"Idiot...!"

"Thunder Blade!" She aims the spell at the door—it bounced off?! No way...! Lightning explodes around us.

"Ahh...!"

It clears out. Ow... That stuff really hurts...!

"Nurse!" Mint calls out. Phew...

"Thanks, _Mint_," I say. "At least we have you to cancel out Arche's destructiveness!"

The weasel glares at me. "Most stone doesn't do that, you know! How'd it even reflect my magic like that?!"

"If you had just listened in the first place—"

"Shut up! You didn't know that would happen, either!"

"Arche-chan, Chester-kun, that's enough," Milard says, hitting both of us on the back of the head as she says it.

"Ow!"

"At least we learned that we can't break it open with magic..." my father points out.

"Should we use force, then?" questions the steed.

"I'll give it a try, Cless-san!" Ami says eagerly. Keh...

"Ami, he said force. You're not that strong."

"Onii-chan, that's mean! I am strong—I'll break it open! See?" The kid holds up her hammer. She hits the door with it—nothing happens.

"See? You're not strong enough."

"I-I am! Let me try again... Hyah!" It still doesn't break. "Aww... F-fine, um..." She holds her hammer out in front of her. Why is she still trying...?!

Ami holds it down and jumps up into the air. She pulls her hammer up over her head and swings it down as she descends back towards the sand. "Soaring Blast!" The blast from the hammer sends out a shockwave and shatters the door. Wow...!

My sister beams proudly. "How was that?"

"T-that was great!" Cless compliments her.

"I guess you're getting better," I say.

"What do you mean 'you guess'?!"

"Ah ha ha..."

"Onii-chan!"

"You're still just a kid!"

"I'll get stronger and bigger!"

"Maybe in ten years!"

"Hey, Onii-chan! Stop being so mean!"

"Now now, Chester, you shouldn't pick on your sister..."

"Yeah, Dad's right!"

"But it's so much fun! And she's such an easy target!"

"Onii-chan!"

"Chester..."

"Ah ha ha ha ha!"

**Suzu gained the title of Devil's Arm Seeker. It is one who holds the burden of the Devil's Arms and searches endlessly for them.**

**Chester gained the title of ****Nighttime Werewolf. Werewolves love the night, but they can't stand getting up early in the morning!**

**Mint gained the title of Destructi****on**** Neutralizer. She can neutralize destruction with her divine powers.**

**Ami gained the title of Strong Kid. She can break a stone door when magic can't!**

**Dhaos learned Spread.**

**Ami learned Soaring Blast.**


	55. Bonus Chapter: Valentine Winner

**Yes, I know Valentine's Day was nine days ago and the lunar eclipse was three days ago. So I'm slow. I was trying to have this done by the lunar eclipse, but it doesn't help that my calendar lied to me... so I started on it too late. Sorry! I'm working on the next chapter of the main story...**

**Anyway, this is the Valentine's Day/Lunar Eclipse special! It is set from Arche's point of view! It's also an ****Archester**** chapter for all of you ****Archester**** fans... I haven't gotten to do a really sweet moment for them, so that's part of the reason for this chapter. Heh...**

**I wish you could see the squigglies I put in this... Unfortunately, they're taken out when I post it. Sadness... There were a lot in this chapter, too... Because of the way Arche is... Ah well.**

**Please enjoy this bonus chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Tales of games. They are owned by Namco.**

**--Valentine Winner--**

"Mint! Ami-chan! Suzu-chan! Milard!" I burst back into our room after our early dinner, where the other four girls are preparing to head out.

"Something wrong, Arche-chan?" Mint questions.

"Look what I found!" I hold a calendar up.

"A calendar...?"

Ugh, how could she be so slow?! "Today!" I point. "Today is Valentine's Day!"

"Eh?!"

"Really?!"

"Yep! C'mon, we're gonna go make chocolates for the guys!"

"Eh? Where at...?"

"The castle's kitchen, of course! Meri-chan's gonna join us—she's getting everything ready!"

"But we're supposed to—"

"The guys can do it—it'll keep them busy!"

"And what's our excuse for staying behind?" inquires Milard.

"We're spending some quality time with Meri-chan!" They're stalling... "Come on!" I grab Mint's arm and drag her out of the room. One by one, the other three follow. I lead them straight to the kitchen, where Meri-chan and some servants are setting everything up.

"Hey!" Meri-chan greets us. "I already have someone sending the guys off, so we have nothing to worry about!"

"Thanks!" We help spread things out on the large counter space. Wow... We're really starting from scratch, huh? Heh heh... "This should be fun!"

"Who are each of you making your chocolates for?" questions our hostess.

"Um... I guess everyone..."

"No!" I yell as I advance on the silly cleric. "Yours are for Cless!"

"Eh?!"

"I'm going to make my best batch for Cless-san!" Ami-chan declares. "Oh, but I should also make some for Onii-chan and Dad and Dhaos-san..."

"What about you, Suzu-chan?"

"I don't know. I don't have anyone to make chocolates for."

"Why don't you help me make some for Marcus?" suggests Meri-chan. Oh yeah, her brother's about Suzu-chan's age, right?

"Very well."

"And you, Milard-san?"

"I guess I'll make some for Klarth... he'll complain if I don't. Honestly, he's so childish..."

We giggle. "What about you, Arche-chan?"

"Mine are for Chester!"

"Eh? For Chester...?"

"Yep! You're making some for Marcus, right, Meri-chan?"

"Oh dear... I'm making my best batch for Chester as well..."

"Eh?!" No way...!

"Let's try our best to make chocolates for him!"

She's making chocolates for... I glare at her. "I won't lose!"

"And neither will I. Looks like this'll be fun!"

"L-let's just start cooking!" I grab a mixing bowl; the other girls grab their own bowls as well. Let's see... all the ingredients are out... "Let's see... What would taste good? A lot of chocolate!"—I pour some into the bowl. "Wait, this is unsweetened, isn't it? Then it needs sugar!" I pour some of that in as well.

"Don't forget the milk and butter," Mint speaks up as she stirs her bowl.

"And it needs a tiny bit of salt," Milard speaks up.

"Right!" I throw those into the bowl as well. Let's see... what else am I missing...? I glance around at the others; Mint's adding some mint stuff to hers, while Ami-chan's adding fruits... What does Chester like...? He likes meats... so I'll add some meats! I search around the kitchen until I find their freezer. Wow, Meri-chan has quite a bit of different meats! I grab a few and take them out, to where the fire pit is. Meri-chan's using that magitech machine to heat her chocolate up... I'd prefer not to use that. So...

Let's see... I need to aim at that angle... not too strong... only fire... "Fire Ball!" Fire starts up under the meats and they start cooking. All right! "Heehee, this _is_ fun!"

"What are you cooking, Arche-chan?" Meri-chan questions.

"Just my secret ingredient!" Hm... this'll take too long! I charge up. "Fire Storm!" There! Now it'll cook faster!

As that cooks, I walk back over to my bowl and begin stirring everything else together. It needs to be smooth, right? Maybe I should add some more milk... Yeah, it's too solid! I add more milk.

"Arche-chan, will you let me know when you're done with that?" Mint asks, indicating to the fire pit.

"Of course!"

"Thank you."

"Mint-san, can you help me with this?" Ami-chan questions.

"Yes. What do you need help with...?" The two work together on the young girl's chocolates. Meanwhile, Suzu-chan and Meri-chan are working on the batch for Marcus while Meri-chan's batch for Chester cooks. Hmph... I won't lose! I have a secret ingredient! Oh! Speaking of, is that ready...? I pull it out of the fire pit. Hm... Yep, it looks ready! "Mint, you can use the fire pit real quick!" I take it to my work station and begin chopping it up into smaller pieces. Heh heh, this is great! I'll bet no one's ever thought of this before! I pour the pieces of meat into the mixing bowl and mix them in with everything else.

I glance over—Mint's watching her chocolate carefully. Milard and I are both waiting to be able to cook ours, and Meri-chan's is done cooking. Suzu-chan and Meri-chan's combined effort is on the magitech stove now... Ami-chan's waiting for that to cook hers.

I sit down. Geez, this is taking too long... I want to cook mine! Meri-chan's going to finish first... but that just means that hers won't be as good as mine, right? I'm put more effort into it!

Mint finally finishes up with the fire pit, and I hurry to grab it before the meerkat can. I put my bowl in and wait as it cooks. Mint hands me the spoon to stir with; I stir it as it cooks. Chester's going to love this!

It's melting together quite nicely and stirring smoothly. "Heh heh, this is my first time making chocolates! This is a lot of fun!"

"Yeah, it is!" Ami-chan agrees. "Think the guys will like them?"

"Of course!" Meri-chan says as she puts her chocolates in the freezer and takes a seat.

Hm... I think mine's done now! I take the pot out of the fire pit and move so that Milard can use it. I finish stirring it and then pour my chocolates in a tray. I place them in the freezer, where all except the two cooking already have their chocolates waiting. I then join the girls at the table. "When should we give the chocolates to them?"

"Tonight," the queen says quickly. "Tonight happens to be a very special night... We'll distribute the chocolates then!"

"All right!"

"Where should we meet up?" Mint asks. Oh geez...

"Who said we were meeting up?" our hostess questions.

"Huh?!"

"Mint, you're supposed to give Cless his chocolates... _alone_," I whisper.

"Ah... I-is that..."

"It's perfectly fine! He'll like it better like that!" Leaning in a little closer, I add, "And don't forget the kiss!"

"A-Arche-chan!"

Milard joins us at the table. "The guys are slow... Even if you give your chocolate to one alone, he may not understand how you feel..."

"Are you giving yours to Klarth-sensei alone?"

"I don't plan on it. I have no reason to."

"And I thought Chester was slow..."

"Klarth and I are friends. I doubt it'll ever be more than that..."

"Why do you say that?" Ami joins us as well.

"Do you love him?" I question.

The woman sighs. "You don't understand... Klarth is a hopeless case. It'll take someone really special to get him out of his research and for him to pay attention to her..."

"Is it... hard...?" the dove asks.

"No. Because... he's happy when he's researching. That's what matters..."

"Geez, Milard! Haven't you ever heard of carpe diem? Seize the day? C'mon, you can't just wait on him the whole time! You have to tell him or something!"

"Arche-chan, are you really in the best position for giving advice...?"

"Ah..."

"You're right, Arche-san!" Ami exclaims. "I'm going to tell Cless how I feel about him!" Uh oh... this could be bad.

"Ah..."

"I'll tell him as he's eating my chocolates! I'm a little nervous, but it'll be fine... right?"

"R-right..." I don't know how to tell the kid the truth...

"Ami-chan, you like Cless-san...?" Ack, Mint sounds kinda annoyed! This is bad... this is very bad...

"Yep! I love him!"

Oooh, what should I do?! Now not only do I have to worry about Meri-chan trying to take Chester, but I also need to figure out how to get Mint and Cless alone without Ami-chan noticing...

Wait, isn't Ami-chan giving chocolates to her brother? Heh heh... I can use this to my advantage! Okay, I'll have Ami-chan get him where I want him... While she's giving him chocolates, I'll get Cless and Mint alone... "Heh heh heh..."

"What are you laughing about, Arche-chan...?"

"Oh nothing! Anyway, where are the guys?"

"They should be back soon... They've been out for a while," answers the eldest of our group.

"They're back," our hostess suddenly says as she turns to look at the entrance.

"Eh? Are you sure...?"

Just after I finish speaking, Cless pokes his head in. "Hey, we're back. Did you girls have fun?"

"Yep!"

The swordsman pauses a moment to sniff the air. "Did you cook something while we were gone...?"

Before we can answer, Chester pops up behind Cless. "Hey, what's that smell?"

"It's a secret!" Meri-chan answers as she hops up and hurries over to them. The rest of us get up and walk over as well. "You'll both find out later tonight, okay?" Leaning closer to Chester, she adds, "Hey, speaking of... there's something special going on tonight that I want to show you. Will you meet me on the balcony around nine-thirty?"

"Uh, sure..."

That idiot...!

"Thank you!"

Okay, I have to put this in my plans now...

"We're going to go shoot some pool. Anyone wanna join?"

"I'll be there in a minute. Arche-chan, will you help me with something?"

"Huh?! Um... okay."

"May I come watch?" questions the cleric.

"Of course!"

"I'm coming, too!"

"This should be entertaining... I think I'll join in the game," Milard speaks up.

"And you, Suzu-chan?"

"Might as well."

All of them walk off, leaving me and Meri-chan alone in the kitchen. "So then, it starts..." the woman speaks up. "Let's see who Chester chooses... I suggest you try meeting up with him before nine-thirty, because what I want to show him will take a while..."

"If he meets up with you," I taunt.

"You don't have long..." She opens up the freezer and gently touches some of the chocolates. She mutters something and a tiny magic circle forms—the chocolates get harder. Did she... "Hm... I think Suzu-chan and I should give these to Marcus soon... I wonder where he is..."

"Probably not with everyone... Why's he so shy, anyway? He's completely opposite of you!"

"I don't know... I'm going to go find him! Tell the others that I'll be there shortly!" Meri-chan hurries off through the halls, towards Marcus' room.

She's right; I don't have long... I need to get Ami-chan and start the plan! I hop on my broom and float off towards where the others are, in the entertainment room. They're all in here... Heh, looks like Chester and Cless are on a team against Milard and Klarth-sensei... Milard's up—she shoots and gets it in. "Nice shot, Milard!" I call out.

"Thank you, Arche-chan."

"Keh, you didn't see the amazing shot I made earlier!" the werewolf brags.

"If you're as 'skilled' as you are with your bow, then I'm sure it wasn't that good," I tease him. Heh, it's fun to make fun of him!

"What was that?! You brat...!"

"Jerkface!"

"Dork!"

"Idiot!"

"Arche-chan, Chester-kun, that's enough," Milard speaks up.

"Where's Merilynn-san...?" Mint questions.

"She's finding Marcus; I bet he's hiding somewhere again!" Oh right, speaking about kids... "Hey Ami-chan, can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Huh? O-okay!" I float off down the halls, and the young girl follows me. Right, she'll distract Chester so I can get Cless and Mint together...

"I need you to do me a favor!"

"Okay! What do you need me to do?"

"When you give your brother his chocolates, I need you to make sure he's out of the city, to the east. And keep him busy for me while I set up! I'll come out there to relieve you once I'm done with everything!"

"Ooh, are you going to give Onii-chan the chocolates you made then?"

"Yep!"

"All right! I'll do what I can! When should I do it?"

Hm... good question... "Nine o'clock!"

"All right! Let's join the others 'til then!"

"Okay! And thanks!" I follow Ami back to where the others are playing pool. Everything's going perfectly! I'll send Cless and Mint into the snowy courtyard out front... The cold air would give Cless a good excuse to hold Mint! If he stops being so slow, anyway...

We watch them shoot pool. Chester and Cless seem to have the upper hand, but Milard and Klarth-sensei are doing pretty good! Hm... Chester's pretty good at this game... _too_ good... Maybe I'll challenge him to a game after he eats my chocolates! Then I'll show him up!

Meri-chan and Marcus join us, but the young boy is staying in the back. Figures... Ugh, I'm getting bored! I need something to talk about!

I glance at Mint. "Hey hey, Mint, have you ever tried wearing make-up?"

"Eh?!"

"I can never get it to look right on me, but I bet it'd look great on you!"

"Ah... I don't think so..." She blushes and stares at the floor.

"I bet shop keepers would even give you a discount if you wore make-up! That'd be so cool!"

"A-Arche-chan..."

"Well everything's too expensive!"

"Try bargaining shopkeepers," suggests the ninja.

"I can do that!"

"For some reason, I have the feeling that you two have different ideas of 'bargaining'..." mutters our group angel.

"My way's better!" I tell them. "They give you an even better discount! And you don't have to argue so much!"

"What's your way, Arche-san?" Ami asks. Um...

"Well you see, guys just _love_ beautiful women... So if you dress up nicely and—"

"ARCHE!" Uh oh, Chester heard... "What the heck do you think you're doing?!"

"Ami-chan asked me a question!"

"You're not seriously going to tell her...?!" he whispers to me.

"Why not? She'll be a teenager in two more years!"

"She's my sister!"

"You can't always be so overprotective!"

He grabs my arm and starts dragging me away. "Come on, I think we need to have a talk..."

"Eh?! W-wait, Chester!" No, he's going to mess up the whole plan...!

He drags me into the kitchen, where he stops and turns to face me. "Look, Ami's just a kid! You can't go around telling her that stuff! She doesn't—and shouldn't—understand it anyway!"

"Why not?! She fights with us all the time—she should be able to know more adult things now!"

"Those are two separate things!"

"How so?!"

"They just are! Cless and I went hunting all the time before we knew about that stuff!"

"I bet you were still a perv back then..."

"ARCHE!"

"You're acting like a doting mother, you know!" I tell him with a laugh.

"I am not!"

"Whatever you say!" Heh heh, this is fun!

"Keh...! You little...!" He pauses. "...Hey Arche?"

"W-what?" What's gotten into him...?!

"Should that fire be going...?" He points to the fire pit—ACK!

"Oh no, it's spreading!" I hurry over to it and start charging up. "Maelstrom!" A vortex of water appears under the fire, spreading out across the room—it douses the fire. "All right!"

"Ack!" I turn around—oh no, Chester's caught in the spell! It throws him against the wall with a loud _thud_. He winces.

"Chester!" The spell dies down, and I fly over to him. I hop off my broom and hold out a hand—he takes it, and I pull him up.

"Hey, watch what you're doing...! Spells like that are dangerous, especially when you don't pay attention to the people around you!"

"What do you know?! You don't cast spells!"

"Keh... You know what? I don't want to argue this right now..." Uh oh, he sounds _really_ annoyed... "And I'm hungry..."

"You're always hungry..."

"I am not!"

"It's not the full moon, is it?"

"I'd already be a wolf if it was. And that's tomorrow anyway..."

"Wow, so soon? It's only been... what, two and a half weeks?"

"Well we're in a different time period... The moons get full at different times in this time period than in that one."

"Oh... right..."

"Does Merilynn have anything to eat...?" Chester opens the freezer—oh no...!

"Ah...! Chester...!"

"Huh?! Arche... what's with all of these chocolates?"

"Ah, um..."

"Is this what you girls made while we were gone...?"

"Ah ha ha..."

"These smell really good! Hm, I haven't tried eating chocolates since I became a werewolf... Can I try some?"

I walk over to the freezer. "Well, I guess it's a little late to hide it now..." I pull out the chocolates I made. "These are for you."

"For me...?" He sounds really surprised.

I grab his hand. "Come on! Others will be coming in here soon, so let's go outside!"

"It's too cold outside!" he protests.

"Oh stop complaining and come on before I grab your ponytail!"

"Hey, I never pull your ponytail!" he complains, but he allows me to drag him out anyway. I take him out a side door, so we're outside next to the castle.

"So are you going to tell me what all of those chocolates are about and why we couldn't know about them?" the boy questions.

I laugh. "Silly, it's Valentine's Day!"

"W-what?!" Haha, he's kinda cute when caught off guard! "Then these..."

"I made them for you!"

"..._You_ made them...?"

"That's right!"

"...Suddenly, I'm scared."

"HEY!" Why that jerk...! "Just eat them!"

"I don't know, I might die if I do..."

"You will not! I worked hard to make those for you, so you better eat them!"

He pauses and closes his eyes.

"...Chester...? What are you doing...?"

"Praying to Martel that I don't die. Or would Yggdrasil be better? If I prayed to Fenrir, then—you know what, scratch that—I don't think something made by you _could_ be made worse..."

"HEY!" I glare at him. "You said you wanted to try chocolates, so try them!"

He pauses again, only this time with his eyes open. "Just be sure to buy me flowers when I'm dead..."

"Chester!"

He breaks off part of it and stares at it, nervous.

"I really worked hard to make these so you'd like them..."

"Lucky me..." he mutters sarcastically. "Well, here goes nothing... I hope being a werewolf makes me immune to this..."

He just _has_ to be a jerk, doesn't he?!

He puts the chocolate in his mouth. All right...!

"Ack!" He puts a hand over his mouth. "This is... the worst thing... ever...!"

"WHAT?!"

He turns into a wolf. Ah...!

"W-wait, why'd you change?!"

Chester lets out a whine.

"Oh no, it wasn't that bad!" I yell, glaring at him.

He lies down in the snow, his ears laid back.

"Hey, isn't that cold...?"

Chester jumps up; haha! I laugh, and he growls softly at me.

His wolf form is kinda cute, actually... I take off my right glove and reach down to pet him on the head. And he's so soft...! He lets out another growl. Heh heh...

I scratch him behind the ear. He stops growling and closes his eyes, looking happy. He's so cute! He must really enjoy being scratched behind the ear!

I kneel down in the snow so that I'm closer to his level. It's cold, but...

Chester suddenly stares up at the sky. Huh...? I glance up as well.

"Whoa...!" One moon is missing, and the other's slowly being covered up by a shadow or something! "This is..." I continue watching. "Where's the other moon, though...?"

The werewolf changes back to his human form, standing; he sits down next to me. "It's a full lunar eclipse... Tethe'alla is hidden behind Sylvarant..."

"Wow... that's pretty rare!"

We sit in silence, watching the lunar eclipse. I can't ignore it, though... it's freezing out here! I fully sit down and wrap my arms around my legs, trying to warm up.

"It's pretty cold out, huh...?" Chester inquires.

"Yeah..."

"But something like this will probably never happen in our time..." He pauses. "Look, I'm only going to do this once, so don't get used to it or anything..."

"Huh?"

He turns into a wolf again. He walks over to me and lays down, leaning against me. He's so warm...! I pet him. "Thank you, Chester... But it'd be easier if you were human, you know!"

He glances away from me—is he embarrassed...?

Heh heh... I'm so happy! This feels so nice...!

I watch the sky again. The moon's still disappearing in shadows; it's a dark reddish-brown now. It keeps getting darker and darker...

The moon's almost gone now...

Chester turns back into a human, his face a crimson color. He curses; "Figures... the one time I _want_ to be in my wolf form..."

I giggle. "What, embarrassed?"

"O-of course not! I just... don't want anyone getting the wrong idea..."

"Yeah, yeah... You're just trying to keep us both warm, right?" I taunt.

"Exactly!"

"Heh heh... Then why is your face so red?"

"I-it is not!" Chester turns his head away. You know... I think he's completely forgotten about his meeting with Meri-chan...

I lean on him. "This is much warmer..."

"Ah..."

He's not protesting... that's good! We sit there a while longer, watching the sky as it becomes completely black...

The moon starts to reappear, and I can see a star in the sky again. I glance up at the star. The first star back... I wish... that Chester would start noticing me... and that he would care about me...

We continue sitting there, even after most of the eclipse is over. I'm not sure I like the silence, but... if we start talking, we may just argue again...

"Tell me when you're ready to go back in..." he mutters.

"Okay!"

I'm not ready. I don't think I will be for a while... though I'm getting kinda tired...

Everything's going black again...

**Arche gained the title of Valentine Winner. Even if my chocolates failed, I still won the battle!**


	56. Spooky Wolf

**Announcements! Yay!**

**I made a website for this story. You can find it at aselian-kharlan dot com slash teishi (just aselian-khalran dot com isn't up yet). I also have a link to it in my profile. Please check it out! Also, even though I talk like it as if it's a game (to get some points across), you all know that it isn't... heh. But I hope you like the website anyway!**

**Also, you know those Viva Tales of things? I've written out a script for one and I'm looking for voices for the parts. I have more information on my website (under Main, Pear Gumi). Please let me know if you want to help with anything! Guy voices are very much needed!**

**Also, I could not reply to Fishy-san using the review feature, so please forgive me for doing it here... But, um, thank you for your review! And I based the angels in this story upon the way Dhaos is shown in Phantasia... As you probably know, in it, they said that he can only be hurt by magic (but Cless' regular sword still hurts him, as do Chester's arrows. Go figure that one out.), so I went with that they have a pretty high resistance to physical attacks for angel-resistance features. Anyway, thank you again!**

**Please enjoy this chapter! Sorry if the dungeon layout got a little hard to follow... Oh, maybe I'll post my map on my website later!**

**Disclaimer: I do not the Tales of games. They are owned by Namco. If I did own them, Chester would be a main character... wait...**

**PS: Haha, all of the goddesses have been voted for on the favorite god poll, but none of the guy gods... I guess the guys aren't much liked. Heh...**

**--Spooky Wolf--**

We walk down into the temple. It's dark down here... "Hey, I can barely see."

"Hold on, I'll summon Efreet..." A dim, green light shines under the summoner in a magic circle. "I, Klarth F. Lester, summon thee by right of our pact... Come, Efreet!"

The being of fire appears, greatly lighting the place. Milard reaches into the pack and pulls out a lantern. The spirit of fire lights the lantern and then disappears back into Dad's pact ring. Wait a sec...

"May I hang this on your broom, Arche-chan?"

"Uh... sure!"

"Hold on... I'm lost," I pipe up. "Since _when_ did we have a lantern?"

"It's been in the pack for a while," answers the meerkat as she hangs the lantern on the front tip of Arche's broom.

"What all do we have in that pack...?" Cless questions timidly.

"It must be very heavy..." agrees my sister.

"Just standard traveling gear. And it's not that heavy."

"A dictionary is _not_ standard traveling gear!" I point out.

"M-Milard-san, would you like me to carry that for a while...?" offers the steed.

"Sure. Here you go, Cless-kun." She holds out the pack, and Cless takes it in both hands. The woman releases—the pack shoots straight down, dragging Cless with it. What the...?! He stands there, attempting to lift the thing, but seemingly unable to do so. He stops and stares at the thing. "That's not possible..."

"It can't be that heavy," challenges my father. "Here, let me try..." The beaten swordsman sadly retreats and the tiger steps up to the plate. He stretches his arms out in front of himself before behind his knees and grabbing the pack firmly in both hands. He lifts up—and the pack doesn't budge. ...Yeah, it's not moving for him...

"Men are _so_ useless..." mutters Arche. Keh...!

"Hey, just because Dad and Cless can't lift it doesn't mean that I can't!"

"All right, let's see you lift it then, Mr. Macho!"

"Fine, I will!" I storm over to the pack as Dad's forced to retire. If Milard can lift it, then there's no reason why I can't!

I grab it firmly in both hands and pull up. Whoa...! This thing's heavy...! I can't even budge it—I'm trying as hard as I can, too! Oww... this hurts my arms...

"Haha, you can't lift it, either!" taunts the witch. Keh...!

I ignore the bag and turn to glare at her. "Why you little brat...!"

"Weakling!"

"Wow, I guess men are pretty weak, huh?" my sister concludes. Wha?!

"Yep!"

"Hold on," Dhaos jumps in, annoyed. "We from Derris-Kharlan are not as weak as Aselian men. Do not include us in that."

"Okay, then let's see Derris-Kharlan's great strength!" the weasel challenges.

"Very well." Dhaos walks over to the bag. As much as I want him to fail... I _don't_ want to give Arche any more room to make fun of us. Keh...

He lifts up—it starts to come off the ground, but he soon loses it and it falls again. It barely even came up an inch...

"Cheh..."

"As I said, men are useless!" cheers the half elf.

"Yes, they are," Milard agrees as she effortlessly lifts up the bag and puts it back on her back.

"Milard, did you..." Dad starts.

"Did I what?" the meerkat finishes innocently. Keh...!

"Don't worry, boys! We women will protect you!" Arche boasts.

"Hey! We can protect ourselves just fine!"

"But you can't even lift a pack!"

"Why you...!"

"Please stop arguing," Mint speaks up. "We need to concentrate on finding Sauound-san and Chris-san..."

"That's right! We'll save them, right, girls?"

"Yep!" my sister cheers.

"Keh! Real strength is shown in battle!" I challenge the idiot.

"Oh? Show us, then, if you're so tough!"

"All right, I will!" I march through the tunnel.

"He is _so_ predictable..."

"I am not! Now hurry up!" I really hate her...! Why is she always such a brat?!

I can hear her floating on her broom behind me. I can always hear it now... that same noise as she zooms by... Keh... Does she _try_ to be annoying?!

...Or at least, that's what I want to yell. But... for some strange reason, it's kinda...

"Onii-chan, are you happy about something?"

"N-no! I'm annoyed!"

"Then why are you smiling...?"

"I am not!"

"You were, though!"

"I was just—" Wait, what's that smell...? I think it's... I grab my bow and an arrow and prepare for battle. "Careful—there are daemons around..."

"Eyaah!" That's—Hope! We spin around.

"Hope!" A zombie has her...! Three skeletons, each armed with two swords, come out of the shadows around us. Geez they smell terrible... We all get in fighting stances; I notch an arrow in my bow and aim it at the closest skeleton, which Cless starts fighting. Out of the corner of my eyes I notice Suzu attack the zombie and Hope run over to the two healers of the group. Good... I shoot at the skeleton once—twice—ha, I got three off quickly! Cless also attacks the thing as I notch another arrow and take aim. This skeleton's going to be down in no time with me and Cless on it! I charge energy—dark energy—into this arrow...

"Glimmer Shot!" The arrow flies straight into the skeleton's bones. All right! The thing stagers back, and then it quickly lunges forward—"Cless, watch out!" The undead creature swings its sword sideways across the steed's chest, and he stumbles back. The way it moved so quickly... It's almost as if it's been rejuvenated...!

I am again and charge more dark energy into the shot...

"Chester, wait!" Milard calls out. Huh?! I turn my head to see her standing next to Dad, drawing runes in the air. "Ready!"

"Asel Seal: Light!" My bow and the arrow on it both begin glowing with light energy. Keh, Glimmer Shot'll be useless now... I take aim and—ack, Cless! It's swinging at him—I release—the arrow stabs straight into the skeleton's left shoulder, breaking off that arm and making the creature wobble.

"Cure!" Light from Mint's mana gently curtains Cless' body, and most of his wounds close up. I notch another arrow—

"Ah...!" Ow, my back...! Something cuts into it—I fall forward, losing the grip on my arrow, but somehow managing to stay on my feet. Ow that really hurt... I'm not letting it get away with that! I spin around to face the skeleton and re-notch the arrow—

"Ray!" A ball of light appears above the skeleton; beams shoot down from the ball, all around my enemy. I shoot at it—right before my arrow hits, the brightest and most powerful beam shoots straight down and zaps the creature—bones turn to dust within seconds, and my arrow flies past and hits the ground. That was...

"Arche! That one was mine!"

"I didn't see your name on it!"

"I was aiming at it!"

"Aqua Laser!" Water hits something—an enemy, most likely—behind me. I turn around to find a skeleton being pelted by water—the angel and my sister both rush in to fight it up close. "Pay attention to the battle at hand!" barks Dhaos.

Yeah, yeah... just a skeleton and the zombie left! I aim at the zombie. I shoot—the arrow lodges into the zombie's rotting flesh. I shoot off another two arrows.

"Cure!" Something gentle touches my wound—it's cold, but in a refreshing way... My back doesn't hurt anymore—in fact, I feel better than before! "Thanks, Mint!" I shoot the zombie again.

"I summon thee... Come, Gremlin's Lair!" The gremlins effectively take out the rest of our enemies. All right!

"Let's move on!" Dad says happily.

...Wait, why do I still smell a monster around us...? "Hold on..." I glance around.

A beam shoots out from the shadows—at Hope—"Watch out!" Mint pushes her out of the way—and gets turned into stone. Wha...?!

Something slitters out of the shadows. It's a woman with the lower half of a snake and red eyes...

"It's a medusa. It has the power to turn people to stone with its eyes... Be careful!" Milard warns us.

"Milard-san, can you heal Mint...?"

"I'm afraid not. We have some panacea bottles..."

The medusa's eyes glow red—"There's no time!" I shoot at her to stall her. "Let's take care of this thing first!"

"Right!" The fighters charge forward and I shoot again—we'll take this thing out in no time!

It holds its arms up as a magic circle appears under it. W-what the?! The ground begins shaking—rocks fall from above us—"Ahhh!" I hold my arms up to guard my head—ow! These rocks are really large and falling down hard...

"Heal!" As the rocks slow down and stop falling, Milard begins healing each of us...

I aim and shoot again.

"Hell Rush!"

"Demonic Swallow Kick!"

All right, just a little more... I shoot again.

"Tempest!"

"I summon thee... Come, Luna!" Dad calls at the same time, and Luna appears—ugh, the power of the moon... I hold my head. It hurts... I can feel the wolf inside me trying to take over... trying to break free... I have to fight it...!

But I smell something good... It's close—I reach my head out to bite it—

Ow! Something hit my head...

"Get a hold of yourself, Chester-kun!"

"It seems that Luna's power is too much for him..." T-that's right, I'm supposed to fight off the wolf... I glance down—yep, I've changed to my wolf form... Keh, this is inconvenient!

Wait, is the monster gone...? I don't smell it or anything... Looks like the spells took it out.

"Chester-san's a..." Ack, I forgot about Hope... I glance up at her.

"Well, I guess it's too late to hide it now... Yes, Chester's a werewolf," my father explains.

"Don't be afraid! Onii-chan's a nice werewolf! He likes being pet, too!"

I growl at Ami. I do _not_ like being pet!

Someone begins scratching me behind the ear. That feels really good... It's like... better than Mint's healing spell...

Ack, everyone's laughing now! I growl again.

"So then he's not one of Fenrir's knights...?"

"Didn't we tell you before? We took out their top division," the ninja explains.

"Ah... You're right." She walks over to me. "May I pet you, Chester?"

I shake my head. I don't want to be pet!

The woman giggles. "All right... but you _are_ a cute wolf..."

"Milard-san, do we have a panacea bottle for Mint...?" Cless speaks up.

"Yes... Here's one." The meerkat hands it over, and my best friend hurries over to the stone Mint. I wonder if it's cold, being a stone statue...

The swordsman pauses, wondering how to use the panacea bottle on her. She's supposed to drink it, right? But how...?

"Steady her, or she might fall when she's free!" the weasel calls out. Eh? Really...? Wait, how does Arche know...?

"R-right!" Cless' face turns pink as he holds Mint's right shoulder firmly with his left hand. He pulls the top off of the panacea bottle with his teeth and then holds the medicine out to her. He slowly puts it between her stony lips and tilts it up to pour some of the liquid into her mouth.

The grey vanishes and Mint's skin and hair quickly turn soft again. "Cless-sa—ahh!" She trips over her feet as she tries to steady herself and falls forward, right onto Cless.

"Mint! Are you all right?!"

"Cless-san... Thank you..." She stares up at him.

"Mint..." And he stares back...

They stare in silence for a good few minutes. Geez, they're too slow...

"Heh heh... heh heh heh..." Uh-oh, Arche has an idea... She leans down to me and whispers, "Hey, Chester, go up right behind Mint and growl really loudly, okay?"

Eh...? But Mint knows—wait, she hasn't seen that I've changed yet... Arche gives me a push. Keh... I guess I might as well try, right? If nothing else, it'll be good for a laugh... I slowly sneak up behind her; neither of them notice. Here goes nothing... I let out a growl, trying to sound a dangerous as possible.

"Ah...!" Mint jumps forward, startled. Haha, right into Cless!

"All right!" the witch cheers.

"Chester!" I receive a glare from my best friend. Hahaha! That was great!

"Ch-Chester-san..." Haha!

"Now now, it's not that bad, is it? You two finally get to hug!" Arche explains.

"Ah... ah!" They finally realize how close they are to each other—both quickly jump away, turning slightly away from each other with red faces. "A-Arche-san, Chester-san..."

"T-that wasn't funny! You really scared Mint, Chester..."

Haha, everyone else is also laughing!

"I-I'm fine..." The blonde cleric smiles. "Lets find Chris and Sauound..."

"Y-yes!" Cless quickly starts leading the way.

"Heh heh, you can't escape us forever!" Arche cheers proudly. "We're always here!"

"Chester-san, when did you turn into your wolf form...?" We begin walking, and the dove falls in line with me. "Is it night already...?"

"No, I used Luna," Dad explains for me.

"This is probably good, though; Chester can learn how to control his wolf form better." Milard glances at me out of the corner of her eye as she talks.

Keh... I don't even want to be a wolf... I hate this...

I glance around at the area we're in; it's not that hard for me to see, even in the dim light... I guess that's part of my senses getting better, right...?

Anyway, the amber walls have may grey columns, and a grey ceiling as well. The floor is a stone tile. There are rocks every where, tiles up, and destroyed columns... this cave's on its last leg. We walk forward, through the rubble... The path is small now, with all of the dust and dirt. Before long, we reach a fork in the road; there's a path to the left that curves around, in a circular manner and a path to the right that curves around in the same manner, along with an open doorway straight ahead of us. "Which way...?"

I start walking forward; why not try that way first? We enter a much larger room. In here, the walls are fully grey... We're on a stony platform with crumbled edges, rubble and melted rock below us. The platform goes forward, to the left, and to the right; the path forward turns to the left to lead to a level even higher up... I can't see very far in any of the directions, though. There's an amber wall with fallen bricks all around it on the other side of the path leading to the right. I lead the way forward again; I wonder if there's any way to get more light... Arche and the others follow me... I can slowly start to make out more of the area ahead...

We can take the path going up, though I can't see very far down it... There's also a platform straight ahead, with a darker floor than the surrounding area. The wall ahead is also amber stone, but it has an inward indention made of a creamy stone. Inside is wood...

"Oh...! We can light that up!" Cless exclaims as he notices.

"Right." Suzu pulls out the Sorcerer's Ring and walks forward. She uses it; fire shoots out and hits the wood, making it burn. All right, this will help brighten things up!

The ground below us starts shaking as there's a groan from the stones; the path starts to go up—what the?! It's shaking too much—the floor beneath us suddenly crumbles, and the rocks tumble downward; we fall with it. "Ahhhh!"

I can't move to catch myself—shouldn't I be able to do that now, too?! Ack! I hit the ground with a _thud_. Ow... that really hurt... Ow! Someone's head hit my back... I glance over—Ami...!

My sister looks at me, surprised. She jumps up and spins around and starts petting me—"Thank you, Onii-chan!"

Ami... I'm glad she's all right!

Everyone else grumbles as they slowly pick themselves up; I stand as well. Arche and Dhaos float down to us, the only safe ones... Keh...

"Something tells me that our destination is up there..." Dad says; we all glance up. It's a long way... We then turn our attention to the two fliers of the group.

"W-what're you staring at us for?!" Arche demands. ...She realizes it. "Nuh-uh... I am _not_ carrying everyone up there! Besides, Chester's a wolf—neither of us could carry him easily!"

Keh... I growl.

"I'm sure there's a way up somewhere around here," the cleric speaks up. "Let's find it."

"Good idea, Mint. Let's go." Cless leads the way; because of the fallen platform, the area to our left is filled with rubble. In front and behind us is wall... meaning we can only go right. Everything down here's a dark orange... and melted. It's also _really_ hot...

After only a few steps, we reach a fork in the road. We can go right again, which looks to turn to the right after that, straight towards a destroyed portion—there's just enough room among the rubble to enter—or left into an open area with three pillars going down the center. "Let's try over there." The steed leads us straight, through the destroyed wall—we enter what looks to have once been a building of some sort... There are metal surfaces lying around... I head a little further 

in. Huh... it looks like this might've once been a kitchen... I sniff one of the partially-melted metal surfaces—ow! It's hot...! That really stings my nose...

The half elf giggles as she kneels down next to me. "You should be more careful. It looks like this place was once filled with lava..."

I growl. Shut up...

"I wonder if it still opens..." She carefully uses her broom to grab the metal handle and pry open the door. We both glance inside—that stench is _horrible_! It's mold—and rotten... Ick... I back up, trying to get the smell out of my nose.

"Ahh!" I glance up—what the?! A monster made out of mold...?! ...That's just wrong... Random things should _not_ be able to turn into daemons... How does mold trapped in a place like this even turn into a monster?!

"I'll handle this!" cheers Arche as she charges up. "Eruption!" A fire pit forms under the thing—fire shoots up—and then rains back down. Well, she effectively set it on fire... It swipes a burning arm at her; Arche's thrown off of her broom. "Ahh...!" No, Arche...!

Cless charges in—"Distortion Blade!" The mold's broken up—now there are four miniatures, all flaming and still moving...

"Hell Rush!"

"Stalagmite!"

Suzu rushes in, swiping at two of them—as the stalagmite comes up out of the ground, the ninja flips out of the way—the mold creatures break up even more...

"Oh this is _not_ right! Ice Tornado!" The monsters are caught up in the tornado and thrown around—I watch them as they fall... they're not moving... Have they gone back to being regular mold...?

"Ha ha, take that!" Arche cheers.

"Hm? What's this...?" The summoner crouches down to pick up something dropped by the mold monster. Is that safe...? Anyway, It looks to be a booklet of some sort... He flips through it. "This looks familiar..."

"Really? Can I see it?" Dad passes it over, and Milard flips through it next. "It does..." She blinks. "This menu... We ate at this restaurant... in Martel's time period... that desert place called Triet or something like that..."

Eh?! I stare at the empty building. We ate here... This was once a busy place... That's right, I remember now... There were those jerks that were criticizing half elves...

Time moved on without those people. This place is still here, but... there's no one here anymore. I barely remember their faces, much less who they were... I still don't quite get it, Sardon... Even if we make a difference in the lives of the people around us, time continues to move on without us... right...?

A beep sounds—ah, that's the communication book...! Dad opens it up, and everyone gather's around. ...I hate being a wolf... I'm not tall enough to see what's going on now!

"Heyo! I found some information on Mithos!" Sardon's voice rings.

"Huh...?" Mithos... Mithos... Oh right, that angel guy, Mithos Yggdrasil! Martel's brother! Wait, but how does Sardon know about him...?

"You asked me to research him, remember? Geez, and you guys always call me brain dead!"

"I don't think we ever said that... But it's been a while since we've been worried about Mithos."

"Y-you mean you don't need this information anymore?!"

"Why don't you tell us anyway? It may prove to be useful."

"Y-yeah... Anyway! I found records of all summoners to make pacts with the summon spirits—there are very few. Mithos Yggdrasil is the first one listed."

"So they _did_ have a pact with him... No wonder they know him..."

"After that was Sheena Fujibayashi... then Kalinthra of Heimdall... then you, Klarth-san!"

"And I was the last, correct?"

"Yep!"

"Onee-san..." mutters the ninja. Huh... Sheena was still a Fujibayashi in her past life...?

"Princess Kalinthra's made pacts with summon spirits...?" Hope questions, very confused.

"Ah, don't worry about that! We still have to find Sauound, right? Sardon, I'll talk to you later."

"Heeey, I did good, didn't I?"

"Bye Sardon."

"Wait! Don't just hang up on me like tha—" Dad closes the book. "So then, shall we move on?"

"Ah... is that okay...?" Hope looks worried; she doesn't know what to do... Heh, her confusion reminds me of Mint!

"Sardon will be fine. I'll call him back tonight when we're _not_ in the middle of danger."

"Ah... A-all right..."

Dad leads the way out of the old restaurant. Funny that Sardon should call us there...

Well, again, we can go left, right, or straight... only this time everything's flipped around since we're going the opposite way. We head to the right.

This area is pretty large... There are two paths to the right, one further ahead than the other, a path ahead that breaks off just above the upper right path, and a path to the left, past the three columns. I glance up; the columns look to be holding up a platform... though it's hard to see in this darkness...

Arche flies further out into the room, lighting it up better. The path to the left is blocked by fallen rubble, so it's right, right, or right-straight... I guess we're going right.

We take the first path right—only to find more fallen rubble... Ah well, we can turn left right before the rubble... Wait...

"This is the same thing as if we had just taken the other path right..." observes the swordsman. He's right...

Well, here there's only that straight path, which is now a tiny bit on our left... on our right is a small cubby and wall all around it. We take the only remaining path.

We're in another large area... with a moving ball of fire. ...Wait, it has eyes... A daemon?!

The others quickly take out their weapons while I get in a fighting position. Keh, I wish I was human right now... Fighting against fire will _hurt_...

"Pow Hammer!" my sister yells; a small hammer falls on top of the fire elemental and it stalls, dizzy. Cless and Suzu charge in, soon followed by Ami.

"Resist!" Milard's runes fly towards the swordsman—right before the fire elemental slings flames at him.

Keh, I can't just sit back and watch! I charge at the thing as well.

"I summon thee... Come, Undine!" The spirit of water charges through, a wave of water paired with her sword, and slashes the fire elemental—it splits in half, its flames extinguished. That was...

"Wow, Klarth-sensei! Your spirits are really strong!"

"Of course!"

"Too bad it's not your own skill," Arche says nonchalantly. Heh...

"You don't have to rub it in..."

"Hey, I know! Maybe you should bring Undine out again and keep her out! She can get rid of all of the fire things for us!"

Dad pauses. "All right, but I get all items, gald..."

"Never mind! Let's go!" Haha, this is kinda funny to listen to... Too bad I can't make some inputs... I'd love to be able to make fun of either of them right about now...

Well, in this area, there are three pillars in a line here as well, but these are in the upper left corner, going across the back wall. To our right is a metal door... Other than that, it's a dead end...

Cless walks over to the door. He curiously pries it open with his sword; we all peak in. It's empty... the wall to the left is completely destroyed, and there seems to be another destroyed wall past that... We exchange glances and then head through, close-range fighters in the front, magic-users in the back. On the other side of the destroyed walls is a long hall... There's nothing to the right, but it goes a long way towards the left... We follow it. I wonder what all of this was used for in Triet... it almost makes me wish I could go back there to see the difference, but... that would be creepy...

We're starting to get close to the end of the hall... Huh, there's another destroyed wall on the left here, just a little bit before the end of the hall. We walk back out into the open...

We're surrounded by walls, but in the wall straight ahead is an arced pathway. Huh... We head through it. I hope it doesn't fall... Heh, that would be a fun way to tease the girls...

...Too bad I can't talk to them as a wolf... I'm going to have to tease them all double once I'm human again...

The path lets us out into a small walkway; to our left is more fallen rubble. Past it are three pillars... Hey, those are the pillars from the first large area... We just went around the rubble...

To the right is another path that forks off, either straight or left this time. There are more pillars straight ahead... we walk that way. We walk through the pillars and towards the right...

We've reached the edge of the room... The wall out here is circular, and the area is much larger than others. There's a blue spot on the ground...

"A warp portal..." Hope observes. "Do you think it still works...?"

"There's only one way to find out... Who's going first?" My father turns to us, questioning.

"I will," offers my best friend. Oh geez... I have to teach him later not to just jump into random portals first... You send Dhaos to do that!

Cless walks up to the portal and steps on. A blue light rises up around him—within seconds, he's gone. The rest of us hurry on after that.

We're in another large area, only... it's pointed the opposite way. And there's the corner of a wall straight ahead... we can go right or—ack! Cless found another fire elemental! I charge at it—and leap—my claws hit it and I tackle it down. Ow... the fire hurts...

"Chester!"

"Spread," mutters the angel. Water bubbles below the creature. ...Uh oh...

Water bursts up, hitting the monster and—ahh...!

"Chester!"

"Onii-chan!"

Oww... I'm laying down; I slowly pick myself up and turn to glare—and growl—at the snake.

He simply shrugs. "You stalled the monster well enough."

I growl louder. I'm going to kill him...!

"Ah...! Onii-chan, Dhaos-san...!" Ami glances back and forth between us, unsure of what to do.

"Heal!" I feel Mint's mana again... That feels a lot better...

"Let's hurry on," the meerkat says as she heads to the left. Keh... We follow, one by one. I throw one last glare at Dhaos before also following.

We head through another arced path in the wall. We reach yet another large area... this one's just like the last two. There's a portal here, too... We walk towards the portal. Should we take it...? Where will it lead...?

"Arche-san, can you bring the light over here...?" Hope's voice speaks up; we spin around to find her inspecting another arced path. This one would lead back towards the center of the room... right? We walk over to see it with light anyway. There's one pillar inside—no more than one—and a switch... We walk in and the steed pulls the switch.

There's a click—the pillar next to us starts coming down into the ground—I glance up. It's bringing a small platform with it... An elevator?!

"All right! This must be the way back up!" cheers the witch.

"Yay!" My sister jumps in happiness. Heh... she's such a kid!

"I'm glad..."

"Now we can find Chris and Sauound..."

The platform lands next to us, setting just above the ground; we hop on. There's just enough room for all of us... After a minute, the platform starts slowly rising. We'll be back at the top in no time...

We rise up, to the top of the amber walls... past the first floor, where we came in on... We're on the very top level now. In fact... thd downward incline in front of us looks to be the same one I saw earlier... it'll take us back to the entrance. We walk towards it, only we go left, up a few stairs. There's a portal on the platform to the right... There's a gap between here and there, though. But... I can smell people that way... Sauound and Chris, maybe...?

I'm the only thing stopping them from flying over, right...? So... I step back as far as I can. Well, here goes nothing... I charge forward and jump—

My feet land on the platform, right next to the portal. I turn and stare back at the others.

"Chester...!"

I sniff around the portal. Yeah, I'm pretty sure someone recently went through here...

"Chester... do you smell Chris...?!" Hope questions, worried. I nod. "And Sauound?" I nod again.

"All right! Then lets fly over! Here, Hope, you can get on my broom!"

"Thank you!"

"Mint, you can fit on here, too!"

"Are you sure that won't be too much...?"

"Positive!"

"Do I have to carry people...?"

"Seeing as how only you and Arche can fly, yes," answers my father

"Cheh..." Dhaos grabs Suzu first and spreads his light wings. The two fly back and forth, bringing everyone over one by one... Dad and Milard, Cless and Ami—wait wait wait, hold on! Why is Dhaos carrying Ami over?! Keh... I hate Dhaos...!

"I hope we find them quickly... Let's get this over with." The swordsman steps on the portal first, and the rest of us follow. The portal teleports us away...

**Milard gained the title of Iron Woman. Not even the guys are as strong as she is!**

**Arche gained the title of Kill Stealer. That monster was **_**mine!**_

**Chester gained the title of Spooky Wolf. It is a title given to a werewolf that can easily scare people.**

**Cless gained the title of Portal Tester. I'll try the unknown portal! I'm not afraid!**

**Dhaos gained the title of Aggravating Angel. Everything he does seems to irritate Chester...**


	57. Caring Jerk

**Yay! I got this one done in good time! Despite how busy things are getting!**

**Anyway, I don't have any big announcements. For once. Aren't you happy? Heh... So, enjoy the chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Tales of games. They are owned by Namco.**

**--Caring Jerk--**

We're in a new room now... It's hard to make out with the dim light sources, but overall, it's a metallic blue color. The floor and the trimming around the wall—both on top and on bottom—are that shade. The walls are grey, with many small pillars around them. There's a broken rock on the wall straight ahead, with two broken... lights, I think, next to it. The dome-shaped ceiling is a dark brown with white bars going up, to lead to the center. Not far in front of us, there's a small set of stairs leading up to a higher area, and on that area is a large pedestal with a round indention... In front of the pedestal stand Sauound and Chris; Sauound's holding their lantern while Chris seems to be working on a computer—a magitech computer, I bet.

"Chris! Sauound!" Hope starts running towards them.

The two turn to face us, surprised. "Hope!"

Wait, that smell...! I run forward and jump in front of the woman—she stops.

"Chester-san...?"

The room begins shaking—I hear people running to join me—Cless and Dad stop next to me, weapons ready, while out of the corner of my eye I see Mint stopping next to Hope. There's a loud crash behind us—I spin around. Rocks are falling...! Between us and the other five—no...! Arche! Ami!

"Milard!"

"Ami!"

"Everyone!"

I can't see them anymore... the rocks have completely blocked us off. Keh...! I turn back to the alter—the others do as well. The stench is coming from there...

Sand and debris suddenly shoot up and fly over us—I close my eyes and brace myself, moving so my neck won't get hit. Ow...

It seems to be done, and the stench is much stronger... I glance up; in the middle of the alter, sticking up from the ground, is a humongous worm. It's large enough to cover half the room—I don't even _want_ to know how much more there is underground!

"That wolf is an ally, right...?" questions Chris as he pulls out his magitech gun, forgetting the computer. Sauound pulls the spear off of his back and holds it up, ready to fight, his right hand still gripping the lantern. Both slowly back up towards us.

"That's right. We'll explain later..."

"Agreed. Hope..." The prince passes off the lantern to her, and we all prepare for battle.

"Let's go!" the swordsman yells, and he, Sauound, and I charge forward. It lunges its head at us, biting; Cless stabs his sword into the ground and takes a step back—"Aegis Strike!"—and blue energy rises up from the sword. The sandworm hits it and then pulls back, screaming in pain; Sauound and I jump to opposite sides of the barrier and continue charging—I jump up on its side and dig my claws into it. It thrashes around—I thrust my claws further into its flesh to hold on. I definitely prefer my bow and arrow...

A blast of energy shines—it his the creature, making it jerk—I can barely hold on...!

My claws slip out of it and I fly—ow! I think I hit the wall...

"Chester!"

"I summon thee, spirit of birth and ruler of all... Come, Origin!" There's a flash of light, and the all-too-familiar spirit is floating there, his usual scowl on his face. He points a sword and spear at the thing and sends lightning-like mana charging at it—it shrieks in pain. Angry, it swipes the ground—I jump out of the way.

"Ahh...!" That sounds like... Cless and Mint?! They hit the wall opposite me—I charge at the worm.

"Eruption!" Sauound calls out, and lava forms under the thing and then shoots up into the air—I pause my charge. Balls of fire and rocks come back down upon it. Once the display is over, charge at it again; I hit the thing with all of my energy—it starts to lash out at me again—a magitech blast hits it.

"Nurse!"

"Demonic Tiger Blade!" Good, the steed and dove are back up... "Klarth-san! Use Efreet!"

"Right!" Dad begins summoning again.

I swipe my claws at the thing from one side—I can see Sauound striking it with his spear on the other side, and Cless swinging his sword in between us. Another blast hits it.

"Sharpness!"

"I summon thee, spirit of the eternal flame..."

"Let's go!" Cless pulls his sword back and then swings—"Fiery Beast!" The fire and the lion-like blast from the swordsman's skill hit the monster at the same time; in fact, the mana beast almost looks to be engulfed in flames... The sandworm shrieks again before falling down towards Cless—no!

"Barrier!" It hits. No... no! Cless...! We all hurry over.

"Cless-san!" No...

...Wait, there's a gap under it... I glance down. Cless is laying there, a barrier keeping the monster from falling on top of him... Cless! I start pushing at the monster. Getting the hint, the others help me. Geez this thing is heavy... It moves, slowly but surely, until the swordsman has enough room to squeeze out. Right after he's out, the barrier falls. I'm glad that didn't happen sooner...

"Cless-san!"

"Mint, everyone, thank you!"

"Whew... that was tough! I was really worried when that monster appeared!" Chris admitted.

"Now is not the time to relax," the prince speaks up; we turn to him. What does he mean...? He points—we look that way—ack! I forgot about the rocks that fell between us and our friends... and the entrance. I glance around—there are no other doors or portals in this room, either...! The Lesters examine the rocks—they try to move one, but the rocks shake dangerously—they quickly stop.

"L-let's not do that again..."

"Agreed..."

"So... we're trapped...?" questions Cless.

"Unless you see a way out..." the other male blonde mutters dryly. Keh...

Hope steps up. "I... refuse to believe that there's nothing we can do."

"You're right," agrees the other woman. "Maybe there's a way to break through without destroying the place." She turns to us. "Let's try our best, all right?"

"Right!" All of us except Sauound join Dad and Chris to examine the rubble. I put my front paws on it and reach up—I gently push the rocks with my nose—a few pebbles fall on me.

"Chester, be careful."

"This is packed really tight... I'm scared to try anything..."

"But Chris, we _have_ to try! We have to get out of—"

"Fire Storm." The place grows really hot really fast—we spin around. Sauound's standing in front of the dead sandworm, which is now burning up due to his fire. It's already hot enough in this place—did he really have to add _more_ heat?! I growl.

"Sauound-san...?"

"A path," the man says curtly. "The sandworm must have come from somewhere—we'll follow that path."

"Good idea. We'll figure out where the others are later," Dad decides; we nod and wait for the worm to burn. It stinks in this room now... but at least it'll give us a path out of here, right...?

The sandworm burns up, but there are still flames all around... We stare at Sauound.

"I cannot use water spells. Only fire."

Eh...? I've never heard of someone having a particular element like that before... We turn to Dad instead, who's already starting up the summon.

"I summon thee... Come, Undine!" The spirit of water appears and charges down the hole left by the sandworm, easily extinguishing the remaining flames. We walk over to the edge of the hole. It's dark... almost impossible to see. Definitely impossible to see how far it goes down... Undine returns.

"The drop is not as far as it looks. You'll be fine."

"Thanks, Undine." She bursts into water and returns to the ring. "Well then, let's see where this takes us."

"Right!" One by one, we hop down into the hole. I soon land on all four of my feet—it _wasn't_ that far of a drop at all... Once we're all safely down, Hope holds the lantern out in front of her. I can't see too far... but I don't smell of hear anything out of the ordinary yet. I'll keep a careful watch for us...

We walk in silence. This tunnel's pretty big... I hope it leads us out... It's also pretty long. There are a few paths branching off to go back and to the left or right, but we stay going straight. We reach a curve to the right—we follow it around. It seems to be a pretty straight path... that's good.

"...About the wolf..." Sauound suddenly speaks up.

"Oh, that's Chester. He was turned into a werewolf by one of our enemies..."

"...Hm..." ...What does _that_ mean...? Keh...

We continue walking in silence. They're all so talkative...

"Sauound, I've been wondering," Dad breaks the silence this time. "You're human, correct?"

"Of course." The prince doesn't even look as he gives his non-emotional answer. He kinda reminds me of Dhaos... in a bad way...

"So then how can you use magic?"

We continue to walk in silence. Is he not going to answer...?

"Chester," he suddenly speaks up—still staring straight ahead and not at any of us. "Do you remember the magitech explosion fifteen years ago...?" He pauses, and I nod; not that it matters, since he's not looking... "...The knights gave their lives so that the four of us could survive... As a result, magitech became infused with our bodies. We can use magic because of it."

"Fascinating... So with magitech, humans can use magic..." Dad grins. "This is what I've been looking for... Maybe if..." He stops talking and puts his hand on his chin as he thinks. "Have you done any more research on this matter?"

"No, but... you shouldn't try," answers Chris.

"I'm going to research it first, of course. Are there any known side effects?"

None of our hosts answer. Keh...

"Well, is there anywhere where I _can_ find out more?"

"...I hear that they're doing experiments in Thor, but..."

"Please do not pursue it," Hope turns to us, concern in her sapphire eyes.

"I've been studying magic for a long time. If there's a lead, I'm not about to let it go."

"But..."

"...You know nothing..." I can barely hear him, but... is it just me, or does Sauound sound annoyed...?

"Don't worry, we'll make sure that Klarth-san stays safe," Cless speaks up, his voice light.

"I'll stay safe. I know what I'm doing."

Uh-huh... I _so_ wish I could talk... he just opened himself up for teasing!

"Uh oh... this doesn't look good..." I glance ahead—we've reached a fork in the road. Everyone turns to me. W-what's that look for...?

"It would be wisest for the wolf sniff to the way out, then," Sauound says coldly. I growl; I am _not_ your watchdog!

"Will you please lead us out of here, Chester-san?" the blue haired girl speaks up. Keh... I guess, but only since _she_ asked... I stop growling and sniff the ground.

...This smells terrible... Keh, why do I have to do this...?

I glance up at them; they're all watching me with hopeful faces. ...I hate this... I continue sniffing around.

The left path smells somehow... fresher... I guess that's the right way. I start walking that way; I can hear the others pick up pace behind me.

"Thank you, Chester!" my best friend says. Yeah, yeah... keh...

We reach another fork in the road, and everyone turns to me. Keh... I sniff around. Again, the left path seems best... I lead them down that one. We continue walking down the dark path in more silence...

Hey, I can see a little more now... and the air smells even fresher... I see...

"I see... light ahead!" The cleric takes off. The other girl chases after her.

"Mint!" ...And then Cless.

"Hope!" ...And Chris... Leaving—wait, and Sauound?! He's running after the girls as well, just behind Chris. Huh... strange guy...

Dad and I continue to follow at a walk. I'm tired of being a wolf... I wonder if I'll turn back into a human in the sun...?

Everyone's outside except us now. We're almost there...

"Chester..." my father speaks up. "You will most likely return to your human form in the sun. Try to remember what its like to be a wolf and how it feels to change between forms. If you can do that, then maybe you can learn how to control it."

How to control it... Then I won't have to become a wolf anymore... All right, I'll try! We continue walking, and the light slowly moves over us...

...I can feel myself changing back. I close my eyes. What _does_ it feel like...? I feel... something warm... It reminds me of Mint's heal spell, except... its somehow different... It's a little colder... darker... wilder... What is it...? Mana...? My mana...?

I open my eyes. I'm standing level with Dad again... and only on two feet. I'm human again. It _does_ feel different... the way I'm standing, my ears, my face, no tail... it's not the same at all. I think I have a better understanding of the difference between my two forms.

"How do you feel, Chester?"

...I haven't gotten to talk in a while, either. "Perfectly fine, no thanks to the person who turned me into a wolf this time."

"Ah..."

I grin; "At least I learned something—run when Dad's summoning Luna!"

"I won't summon her until you learn how to control your transformation."

"That works." Heh...

I glance around. "So where are we...?"

Chris points—I follow his finger to see some buildings in the sand, with ocean on the other side of them. "That's our main port city, Ostrich."

The prince starts silently walking towards the village.

"H-hey, we still need to find our friends..."

"We'll figure out where they are somewhere safe, while we rest. Come." Keh... I don't like that guy very much... Nonetheless, we all follow him towards the city. I _am_ kinda hungry, come to think about it... _"You're always hungry!"_ Heh, Arche would make fun of me if she was here...

If she was... Keh... As much as I hate her, I hope that she's okay...

And I hope that Ami, Suzu, and Milard are okay, too! Not just Arche... why would I even think of her first...? She's an annoying brat... I'm better off when she's not around.

...Right...?

We reach the city. All of the houses are made of wood and kinda spread out along the coast... I guess that's better in this kind of heat. There's ports on both sides of us; it's practically part of the city. It's not really that large of a city... but it's not small enough to be a town. Chris stops and turns to us as we step onto the stones separating city from sand.

"I'm going to go contact the castle and let them know that we're all right... I'll also ask if they've seen your friends."

Dad nods. "All right."

"Chris, we'll meet up in The Emu."

"Right!" The scientist takes the now blown out lantern from Hope and hurries off to the left, and we follow the other two residents of this country through the city, towards the right. Everything's flat here... I guess being in a desert means that they can take up as much width as they want... Anyway, they lead us to one of the buildings near the ocean. Inside, the hostess immediately recognizes the prince. "Welcome, your highness," she greets with a curtsy, her face a little pink. "How many will it be for...?"

"Seven."

She gathers up the menus, nervous. "This way, please..." As she leads us through the restaurant, many people—mainly young woman—turn and stare. Why are they all staring at us...? ...Some of them _are_ really pretty...

The hostess takes us to a large table that's set off from the others by two small walls surrounding it.

"We're waiting for Christopher K. Lester," Hope explains. "Will you show him where we are?"

"Of course." Huh... she doesn't sound so nervous when she talks to Hope... She sets down the menus as we choose our seats. I'm sitting between Dad and Cless... the empty seat for Chris is next to Hope, and on her other side sits her other best friend. The cleric is next to Cless, naturally. As the hostess leaves, Sauound pulls out a map.

"We are here," he explains, pointing. "The ruins were here." He points to another spot—far south of us. Wow, the tunnel took us up a long way...! "If your friends are wise, they will return to the castle for help."

"Yes, I'm sure Milard would've handled that..." Dad still seems a little worried. Understandable... "So where are you planning on going next?"

He points to an area even further north, just inside the mountains. "There used to be a path somewhere around here..."

"You think the sword that you're looking for might be there, then?"

The prince nods. "It is in desert ruins."

"Um... I'm sorry to trouble you, but will you continue to travel with us...?" questions the girl.

"I see no reason not to."

"I assume Chris is asking for your friends to meet up at our next destination," Sauound adds.

"Then looks like we're stuck with you weirdoes longer," I joke.

"So speaks the werewolf."

Ouch... "At least I'm not chasing a fantasy sword."

"You are infuriating... Do you require putting others down to raise yourself?"

"W-what?! It's not like that!"

"Chester teases everyone," my best friend speaks up, "especially those he cares about."

"Cless, don't tell them nonsense."

"That would mean that he cares about Arche most," inputs the tiger.

"I do not!"

"No need to get defensive..."

"I'm not getting defensive!"

"You're getting defensive," Cless agrees with Dad.

"Hey, you're supposed to be my best friend!"

"Hey Cless, maybe you should give Chester some friendly advice about Arche..."

"Ooh, that's a good idea..."

"I don't need any 'advice' from someone who can't even admit who he lo—"

"We'll discuss this later. What should we have to eat?"

"Cless-san...?" Mint turns to him, worried, as the swordsman uses the menu as an excuse to hide his red face. "Chester-san...?" She turns to me now.

"W-what?"

"Your face is a little pink..."

"It is not!" I glance around the table for help—Sauound's staring at me like I'm an idiot. "What's your problem?!"

"Dense."

"Oh shut it! I am not!" I need a change of subject... "Let's just get something to eat—I'm hungry!" I stare at the menu. Let's see, what would be good... maybe some fish...

...Arche wouldn't be able to read this because of that curse... Instead she'd see those weird dreams...

...I hope the curse wears off soon...

The server comes; we place our orders—I get water and some salmon dish. That sounds good... Sauound places an order for Chris. I wonder if they come here a lot...

...Something smells familiar...

The hostess comes in. "Right in here, Sir..." Following her is—

"Chris!" A huge smile forms on Hope's face.

"Hey, sorry for taking so long!" He takes a seat next to the girl. "Your father's _not_ happy with us, Sau."

The prince takes his eyes off of Hope to stare at his best friend. "When is he ever, unless we construct a new magitech machine?"

"Has he not given up on trying to make you a knight?"

"Be honest—he only wants for me to use my magic on the opposing armies."

"Eh? Really?!"

"Is it not obvious? He is a war-crazed fool."

"Still... to try and make you do that..."

Sauound shrugs. "I do not care about what he wants. I shall do as I please."

"Heh, that's just like you..."

"What else did he have to say?"

"Oh right, he said something about the computers being down, so he wants us to come help with that..."

"An excuse. Next."

"And Chester's friends went back to the castle for help... Some guards are going to escort them to the pass north of us—a little east of our destination. They should arrive there tomorrow afternoon."

They're safe... good...

"Perfect. We shall sleep here tonight and explore the ruins in the morning. We shall meet up with your friends after that."

"Sounds like a plan. There's just one little problem..."

"The werewolf."

"My name's Chester!"

"As long as he does not make any unnecessary noise, he should be able to pass unnoticed at the inn. I shall see to it that no one may enter our rooms."

"Thank you."

I smell food coming this way... Seconds later, the server returns with everything we ordered. He passes it out while we wait patiently; afterwards, he leaves and we begin eating in silence.

I'm glad our friends are okay... and they'll meet up with us again tomorrow. Heh, maybe I should make the most of not having that loudmouth around! This will be a lot more pleasant...

Dad and Chris begin discussing magic theory... they just never stop. Sauound's even joining them in this... He seems to know a lot, too... He keeps adding points that make the other two think. Huh... I guess he's not just a stupid prince with a girly face...

...He's still an arrogant jerk, though.

But... when he was a kid, he helped stop the burning caused by the aconite, right? He seemed really kind back then... I wonder what happened to that kindness... did he really change that much? Well, it's been fifteen years, and he and his old friends are now fighting against each other... plus Fenrir mentioned that Merilynn went missing for thirteen years... I guess I've missed a lot in that time, and I doubt they'll just tell me everything.

...Wait, why am I even worrying so much about this? We're traveling to try to learn how to beat Fenrir... why did Kalinthra even tell us to come here? I guess I did promise Merilynn I'd come, but that ghost-elf girl told us to come to the country of Odin instead of the country of Fenrir... and that put us in a bad area... plus her diary curse Arche... Keh, I want to give Kalinthra a piece of my mind!

...Speaking about Arche... I wonder what she's doing now... They've probably heard that we got out by now... Heh, she's probably creating as much of a disaster of things as usual... I'm probably missing out on good chances to make fun of her!

A-and what about Ami? Well, she has Milard and Suzu to protect her... I don't really trust Arche and Dhaos with that. Arche's too destructive, and Dhaos just doesn't care about us Aselians. I'm worried about Ami... I wish we could just take her home, but... then Fenrir might kidnap her again... And even though I'll never tell her, she _is_ getting pretty strong...

...But it's still too dangerous. I don't like being this far away from her... I can't protect her like this...! Ami could be in danger... so could—

No, they're back at the castle. They have the knights of Odin with them, too... They'll be fine. And hey, I can always make fun of them for missing out on everything!

"Chester?" Ah, that's Cless... "Are you okay?"

"Y-yeah, I'm fine."

"How long do we have before the moons...?"

Oh right... I have to go into hiding at the inn before the moons come out... "Not long. Let's finish up quickly." I continue eating. I'm almost done, and as is everyone else.

"Chester-san, what were you thinking so hard about?" questions Hope.

"It's nothing."

"How long were you out of it? Did you hear us talking about our next destination?" the scientist speaks up.

"You mean you were talking about something besides magic?" I add as much smug surprise as I can muster into that sentence. "Wow, I'm stunned. I didn't know you _could_ talk about something besides magic and technology!" I grin at Dad.

"I don't always talk about magic..."

"Cless?" Time for some more sources!

"You do talk a lot about it..."

"Mint?"

"You know an amazing amount about knowledge..." Mint's comment only makes my father grin, proud.

"Mint, don't boost his ego."

"Yes, his head is already far too large..." Sauound speaks up. Haha, looks like he's not so bad after all!

"H-hey..."

"It may even be larger than Chris'..."

"Ouch, Sau! My ego's not that big..."

"Hey, I don't have a large ego..." Dad argues, though he is _so_ losing at this rate. Heh, we all laugh. "Okay, enough on this subject. Chester, we were talking about the place we're going next... Some old mines in the mountain, from the looks of it."

"According to our records, the area was once called Ossa Trail. There are also records of the spotting of a bird of light, possibly the summon spirit Aska. We believe the sword we are searching for is located there," Sauound explains.

"It's also at least as old as the tales about the hero that once owned the sword, which backs up our assumption," adds Chris. "It sounds like an important place... maybe he would've hidden it in a spirit's care."

"Hey, are you sure that no one's taken and moved the sword since these tales?"

"We have considered that course of action and put study into that subject. Seeing as how a fire sword has never been mention since..."

"...it's unlikely that it's been moved," the scientist finishes for his best friend.

"A fire sword...?"

"Yes. The Flamberge."

Huh... I thought maybe he was searching for the Eternal Sword...

"The Flamberge...?" Cless sounds surprised; does he know what it is?

"...We shall fine it. No matter the obstacles."

I'll have to ask Cless more about it... but later. I stand. "I don't have long, so I'm going to go ahead and get a room in the inn." Sauound nods and stands as well. "You're coming...?"

"I must order the rooms and assure that no one may enter your room."

"Oh right..."

He starts walking away, and I follow. He leads the way out of the restaurant and through the desert city; we walk into the inn.

"Welcome, your highness," the lady at the desk greets with a bow. "Are you getting a room...?"

He nods. "Three rooms for one night. Two with two beds and one with three."

"All right..." She writes some things down and grabs some keys. "Here you go. They're the last two rooms on the right and the last room on the left."

"Thanks," I say, and Sauound hands me the key for the largest room. That'll be for me, Dad, and Cless, I bet...

"See to it that no one may enter our rooms without our permission."

"Y-yes, your highness."

"We are awaiting Christopher K. Lester's group. They are allowed in, and no other."

"Understood. Please enjoy your night!" We walk to our rooms... I'm running out of time...

I stab the keys into the last door on the left and turn it; the room opens and I enter. Sauound enters after me and then shuts the door. I can feel the mana... the mana of my wolf form. Keh, I missed being human most of the day...

...But I learned something important. I learned how to control it... Maybe I can stop it now. I close my eyes and concentrate. I need to stop the transformation... I want to stay a human... I can't change...

...That _definitely_ failed. I'm down on all four paws, but... wait, do I have complete control to start out with? Usually someone has to snap me out of it... Heh, looks like I'm getting better!

"Are you not supposed to be learning to control the transformation?" questions my companion. Keh...! I growl. Shut it; I tried. "...I am going to bed. Do not make noise." Sauound picks the key up off the ground—when did I drop that? He then leaves the room and shuts the door behind him. I can hear him locking it... I guess he'll give it to Cless and Dad when they arrive. Probably safer that way...

Well... I might as well try to get to sleep. I jump up into a bed and lay down. I close my eyes. It's still early, but... I am kinda tired after all that we went through today. And I'm tired of being a wolf... If I fall asleep, then I'll be human again by the time I wake up...

And we'll start moving again... I don't like laying here doing nothing when we have goals to accomplish. Plus... I want to reunite with our friends as soon as possible. So hopefully I'll sleep soon...

**Klarth gained the title of Single-Minded Researcher. My research has one goal... and I'm going to follow it, no matter what dangers lay ahead.**

**Chester gained the title of Caring Jerk. He teases people because he cares about them... really.**

**Mint gained the title of Ego Booster. It is a title given to one who boosts others' egos.**

**Arche has left the party.**

**Suzu has left the party.**

**Ami has left the party.**

**Milard has left the party.**

**Dhaos has left the party.**

**Sauound has joined the party.**

**Chris has joined the party.**


	58. Pathfinder

**Again, sorry for the delayed update! But good news: finals are over and school's out for the summer! (Isn't that a song or something?)**

**I forgot to say last time; for those of you wondering, the reason as to why Milard could lift the pack when the guys couldn't is because she has runes on the inside of the pack to help her. So she kinda cheated... but Chester doesn't get to know that. Heh...**

**I've been planning the rest of it out carefully, and I finally figured out where most of the Devil's Arms are going to be... It was a tough choice between the suggestions for the broom, but, I'm afraid the irony won over. However, Jujubii-san gets a title for the awesomely amusing suggestion.**

**The only Devil's Arms not placed yet are: Heart of Chaos (staff), Soul Eater (sword), and Lunar Eclipse (bow). If anyone wants to suggest a place for the Andvarinaut (bracers), then that one can always change (no one's getting a title for that one as of now).**

**I hope I didn't miss any important announcements... please forgive me if I did. And (I know I always say this, but I'm trying! Really!) I'm going to try and get the next one up sooner... sorry for the delay!**

**Anyway, please enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: ...Yeah. You know those Tales of games? I don't own them. If I did... this wouldn't be a fanfic. But they're owned by Nafmco. So enjoy this fanfic! (What? It's different!)**

**--Pathfinder--**

"Chester, wake up."

"Leave me alone..."

"Has he always been this hard to get up in the mornings?"

"No... He used to wake up pretty easily after a good night's sleep... or when we were running late for class."

"...Which was often."

"H-hey, it wasn't that often..." These people talk too much...

"Anyway, try to get him up... I'm going to call Sardon back."

"Right." Someone nudges my shoulder... "Chester, it's time to get up."

No... it's not time yet...

"...All right, you asked for it..."

...Is it just me, or has it suddenly gotten really cold in here...? Keh... I—

...Cless stole my blankets...

I open my eyes to glare at him. "Why can't I sleep...?"

"It's morning now, and we need to head to the ruins soon. Now get up."

Keh... fine... I sit up. I still feel really tired, though...

"You hung up on me." Wait, that sounds like... Sardon...?

"Sorry about that... If Hope had found out about our time traveling, there would've been far too many questions to answer," Dad explains.

"Ooh... she's that girl that was there, right?"

"Right."

"So then I did do good?"

"You definitely gave me some interesting information... I'll find out the rest from the spirits themselves. Anyway, I have something else for you to study."

"Okay! I'm ready!"

"This time I want you to see what you can find out about some people... Prince Sauound of Odin, Christopher K. Lester, and Hope."

"Eh? A Lester...?"

Dad nods. "Yes, most likely one of our ancestors."

"He'll be easy to find, then! I think Sephie's already been studying our lineage!"

"Good. Also, while you're studying Sauound, see if you can find out anything about the other rulers of this time."

"Aye-aye, captain!"

"This _isn't_ a ship..." I point out.

"Ah, you're up... Good morning, Chester," my father greets.

"Morning..."

"He doesn't sound very awake," jokes Sardon.

"Shaddup..."

"Well, we're about to go to some ruins with Sauound, Chris, and Hope. Next time you contact us, don't mention anything about this unless I ask... it'd be best if they don't know that we're researching them."

"Right-o! I'll be sure to bring some other news with me, then!" He holds up a hand and waves, a huge smile on his face. "Well, take care! I wanna hear all about these adventures later!"

"Mieu will tell you."

"Yaaay!" Heh, he's like a kid...

"Bye, Sardon."

"Bye-bye!"

"Bye."

"See ya." I know Cless and I didn't really talk to him that much, but...

Dad closes the book. "Well then, shall we get going?"

"Yeah." That's right... After we're done with these ruins, we'll meet up with the others. Arche, Ami, Suzu, Milard... and that jerk Dhaos.

There's a knock on the door. Cless walks over and answers it—I look over his shoulder to see Mint carrying food... "Good morning. Hope and I made food for everyone..."

"Thank you, Mint!" She smiles and walks over to a small table in the room. Huh... I didn't really notice that before... it's in front of the bed on the far side, with three chairs around it. After setting the food down on the table, she backs away so that we can sit; Dad and I take two of the seats and begin eating.

"You can have the last seat, Mint."

"But..."

"Don't worry; I'm fine standing!"

Mint looks like she wants to argue more... I guess I can help Cless out a little bit.

"Trust me, Mint, he's made up his mind. Either you're going to sit or no one is."

"O-okay... Thank you, Cless-san." They exchange smiles, and the cleric sits. We all eat; Mint made plenty of meats for me!

Okay, we're about done... I'm finished. I get up and offer Cless my seat; he takes it. There's a knock on the door... I guess it's probably the rest of our group. I walk over and answer it. Yep... Sauound, Chris, and Hope are standing there.

"Hey! Did you sleep well?" Chris asks.

"Yeah. We're going to those ruins north of here, right?"

They nod. "Once everyone's finished with breakfast."

"We're done," Cless announces, and I turn to see that they've all finished the food.

"All right, then. Let's get going!" Everyone gets up and gathers their stuff; I lead the way out. We leave the town and start walking across sand, towards where the ruins should be... It's _really_ hot out on the sand... Hey, there's one of the oases. We pass right by it and keep going, towards the mountain range. We're almost at the base of the mountains now... we head northwest. The ruins are in a pass among the mountains north of here, I believe...

...It's _way_ too hot out here... I wish we at least got shade from the mountains, but no such luck there... The others look to be as miserably hot as I am. I guess that's why no one's talking...

...That and Arche's not here to create a ruckus. They'll be meeting up with us after this, though... Let's hurry up with these ruins!

"Here," Sauound suddenly speaks up as he walks towards the mountains. We follow him; there's a gap just between the mountains with a beaten-down trail. We follow it into a clearing... On the far side is a trail leading up, and strangely enough, there's a little bit of plant life here...

"Looks like this area's been shaded enough for things to grow," Chris points out. "It probably gets a good amount of water with mountains on either side, too..."

There's something rusty ahead... I walk over to it. It looks to be... a switch...? In the middle of the ground...? The area around it is covered in sand, but... "I think I hear something..." I brush away the sand to the left of it, where the sound's coming from—whoa! Metal—doors, I guess—fall down, with the sand on top of them, revealing a rectangular opening. We all stare down into it.

"That must be the place," Dad observes. "There has to be another entrance around here..."

Figures... We nod and I stand; we head up the path, further into the mountains. There are rocks all around, fallen from the mountains above. As long as they don't start falling apart now, we're good...

After going straight up a little bit, the path turns to the left, still going up the mountain. Then it turns again, only this time to the right... Well, there's the path further up the mountain and then an area between where we came from and that path that's level with where we stand. Anyway, so we take the path further up... Ah great. It's blocked by boulders. We head back down and take that other option at the first fork, leaving the path. It's pretty open here... The area goes up a little, but it leads pretty much straight over to the path again. We hope back on the even path going down as it curves down and to the right. Soon enough, it makes a curve left and then immediately right, leading us down the same way we were going in the first place. Hey look, there's the bottom... Oh, and there's a cave...! The entrance has a few boulders in front of it, but these look small enough to move... We walk up and, working together, pull one of the two boulders out of the way. These must be the ruins... we enter.

Keh, I can't see anything... "Whoooa!" I hear Dad yell out ahead of us—sounds like he's sliding down. There's a flash of light, and next thing we know, Chris is holding a lit lantern. The path ahead of us leads down, steeply, three times, and Dad's at the bottom of the first decline.

"You okay?"

"Yeah..." He picks himself up as we carefully walk down to join him.

"Would you like me to hold that, Chris?"

"Thank you, Hope..." Hope takes the lantern again. We pause a second, glancing around. All the wood here is rotten, almost destroyed from age. Even the rocks aren't doing so well...

"This place looks like it's about to cave in..." Cless points out.

"Well isn't that comforting..." I mumble sarcastically.

"Hopefully the sword will be here. Let us go." Sauound leads the way, and the rest of us follow; we walk down the other two declines and further into the mines. We're at a fork in the road here... We can keep going straight or we can head left or right.

"There should be some computers near the center of this; we can access their logs to find out if the sword's around here," Chris explains.

"They had magitech that far back?" Dad puts in.

"No... Researchers once came here to learn about the past. But... they had to abandon it and leave the computers behind because it got too dangerous."

"Oh, yeah, that's even _more_ comforting..."

"Stop complaining. You agreed to come." The prince begins walking straight. The others follow.

"At least Arche's not here..." I mutter before I, too, start walking.

Before long, another path opens up to the left, and... there's rubble ahead of us. Figures...

"Can we break through?"

"I don't suggest it," Dad answers.

"Why do we always have to take detours...?" I question.

"This is going to kill our timing..." The scientist turns around, to view the path behind us. "Well, which way?"

Good question... Wait, is everyone looking at me?! "I am _not_ sniffing around again! Besides, there's no trail to follow."

"Then, let's just try a way..." my best friend speaks up. He takes the lead as we turn around, taking us to what is now our right—the only way to go at this intersection. After a short path, we reach another four-way crossroad; we can go left, right, or straight. Again.

"This is starting to seem like a maze..."

"Keh, figures..."

We turn right; that reaches a sharp turn left. Now we're at yet another fork... left or right this time, though. We head right again. Before long, we're at a place where we can go straight or right, and then just after this fork is another one where we can go straight or left. We keep going straight, where the path curves to the right. We follow it around and reach—keh, a dead end. There's rubble around... but there's a treasure chest in front of it. I walk up to the chest and open it; the lock's worn out with age, so it's not hard...

Inside is a golden ring. "What's this?"

"A very nice find," Dad answers. "It's a protect ring; it has a chance of deflecting physical damage, but it may also break. Be careful how you use it."

"Right, thanks." I pocket the thing; it may come in handy later! We head back to the first fork; this time we go to what's now our right—ack, there are skeletons here! Five of 'em! I step back and pull out my bow, notching an arrow on it, while Cless and Sauound charge forward.

"Piercing Line!" My arrow goes straight through the rib cage of two skeletons; I notch another arrow and take aim. Cless, you're in the way...

"Beast Swallow Kick!" He throws a skeleton back and then follows it with his second move—I release, shooting the skeleton that was just past him. A blast of magitech turns bones to ashes of a skeleton coming up on Sauound.

"I summon thee, from the light brightest star... Come, Aska!" The large bird appears, and it rains down light on our enemies. I shoot another skeleton—it falls, and its bones also turn to dust. Cless' also falls—two left!

"Pow Pow Hammer!" Mint calls out, stunning one. I shoot it as Sauound stabs it with his spear—it falls.

There's another blast of magitech—the last one dies. All right!

Chris walks forward, resting his magitech gun on the back of his neck, so that it's pointing away and towards the roof. "No daemon can stand up to the magitech of Odin! Right, Sauound?"

"...If you say so."

Chris doesn't seem disturbed at all by Sauound's response; in fact, he just smiles. "Well, which way here?" Oh right, we can go left or right here...

"Let's try left," suggests my best friend; we head that way. This hall is... long... very long. I can't see the end of it yet. Hope stays close behind us with the lantern, but it's still very dark...

We reach the end of the hallway. There's a turn just before the dead end t, the left; we take it into a short hallway and then another left-right fork. This time we head to the right, which leads us to a corner going left, and then left again, before we reach a place where we can go straight or right. Keh... I'm tired of this maze already. We head right.

"...Doesn't this look familiar?" Dad questions.

"I was thinking the same thing..." mutters the prince.

"What do you mean?" asks Mint.

"Hope, the light. Over here." Hope walks over to her friend, who's on the right side of the group, and holds up the light. We glance down that hallway... Hey wait a minute... Those hills...

"...We're back by the entrance..." I don't believe this... "Okay, we're trying to get to the center, right? Which is to our left now..." They nod. "Then let's go." I lead the way straight; we can go left or right here. If we want to get to the center, then left will lead us closer... I lead the way to the left. After a medium-length hallway, compared to the previous ones, anyway, we reach a spot where we can either keep going straight or run right; we keep on the straight path. After another hallway, it turns to the right; we follow that. The center _should_ be behind us... I think... Anyway, another left-right fork... we go left again. And... another dead-end. We turn around and head straight down the hall. This first fork is where we came from... we ignore that. Another one... to the right again. That'll lead us right back to where we came from... we keep going straight. This path turns to the left now and then goes straight—now we can go left or straight, but going straight leads us to another left path, paralleling the first one. We head down the first left.

I don't see any turn offs yet... it's a pretty long hall. Ah, I'm starting to see something in the light... a turn left. Good, that'll take us closer to the center... unless I got turned around somewhere...

We take the run to the left, which leads us down a little bit further, before there's a break in the wall on the left to let us into the next path over. We go that way, which is an automatic turn right, and then left—into yet another left-right fork. We head right this time, and then, at the next straight-left fork, we head straight—keh, a dead end... We turn around and take the turn at that fork. It leads us down a hallway...

...Wow, this area's bigger than the hallways... and it has computers... Ah, this must be it! There's a light shining down from above—I look up. Far above us is sky... but only in a square opening in the roof.

"Here we are! Sauound and I will hurry this up, so you guys just wait." Chris and Sauound hurry over to one of the computers. They immediately start working on it, using their own magitechnology on it. I guess it's the only way to get things so old to work...

The screen on the computer flashes, and then it turns on. It's automatically in a database, from the looks of it... They start looking through it.

Well this is boring... I lean against the wall closest to me.

What's that smell...? I'm still not quite used to this whole scent thing...

Two people fly in from the passage we entered from. Whoa... one has wings... like Dhaos and the other angels... Does that mean he's from Derris-Kharlan...? Anyway, he has green wings, and his hair is brown; it's neatly combed back, away from his face. His eyes are a deep maroon, and he's... glaring at us...? His clothes are loose... They're a crimson color, with strange, silver patterns all over them.

The girl, however, is dressed in plain armor, with small winged accessories on her shoes and spear. She's hovering, I guess would be most accurate... there's some light shining below her feet. Mana, I assume. Under her armor, her long skirt is green, and her shirt is white. She has long, blonde hair kept in a ponytail.

"Just who the heck are you...?" I ask.

They glare at us, and the man pulls out a sword. They get in fighting stances. "We've finally found you..." the angel says. "We've come at the request of the gods to take the Eternal Sword."

"At the request of..."

"But aren't you from Derris-Kharlan?" Cless finishes for me.

"I am. My name is Hession Maliott."

"And I am a Valkyrie. My name is Svana," the girl speaks up.

"Wait, valkyrie?!"

"Valkyries are said to be a race of women who live in the Spirit Realm, along with the great spirits, such as Efreet and Aska," Sauound explains as he walks over. "Derris-Kharlan... So you are from that world that has come close to ours?"

"Correct."

"Okay, the valkyrie I can understand then... but why is an angel working with _them_?!"

"You know nothing... begone!" Hession charges at us, and Svana charges with him. Keh...! I jump off the wall and pull an arrow out of my quiver—I take aim as the battle begins.

The angel takes to the air, while the valkyrie charges straight in—she locks spears with Sauound. I shoot at Hession and quickly notch another arrow—and shoot again. Keh, he dodged 

both... Chris seems to be shooting at the valkyrie. Svana, right? Pretty name... and pretty woman... too bad we have to fight her...

"Sharpness!" Mint calls out; right, battle. I aim at Hession and shoot again.

"Rising Phoenix!" Speaking of, the swordsman helps me against the angel. Why is he even fighting us...? Aren't the gods destroying his world...?

I concentrate. I won't miss...! "Dragon Slayer!" The arrow goes—and hits him in the side. Keh, not as good as it should've been... but he falls. That should help Cless out, at least. I notch another arrow and take aim again.

"I summon thee, spirit from the Daemonium... Come, Gremlin's Lair!" The gremlins latch onto Svana; I continue my battle against the other guy. Heh, another hit!

"Cure!" Mint calls out—mana envelops our group swordsman.

"Nurse!" Hession also yells. Keh...!

"Heal!" ...Sauound heals, too? Huh... Well, he _did_ have ointment when he was a kid, so I guess I shouldn't be that surprised... I aim and shoot again.

Hession backs up, and his comrade quickly gets in front of him. He's... charging up...! This isn't good... I aim in the air. "Wild Rain!"

Svana quickly jumps up into the air. She pulls her spear around—"Omega Tempest!" She... destroyed some of the arrows... not one hit Hession...

Keh...! I aim at her—"Giga Fang!" A much larger arrow charges at her—she stalls, surprised—and then jumps to the side. Heh, it got her pretty good anyway!

"Gravity Well!" Huh...? A black area—the top of a sphere—forms around us.

W-whoa, what's going on...?! It's pulling me down... I can barely stay on my feet... it hurts... I don't think I can hold up much longer...

Ow, that hurt... It's gone now, and somehow I managed to stay on my feet... that's good. Keh, time to show them what we're made of...!

"Cless! Lightning!"

"Right!"

I aim at Hession and charge my arrow with lightning energy as my best friend charges in. I release—he attacks—"Lightning Blitz!" Lightning explodes around the angel.

"Nurse!" That was our cleric—good...

"I summon thee, spirit of the great earth beneath us... Come, Gnome!" Gnome-missiles sprout up from the ground and shoot at our enemies.

I shoot at the angel again; Sauound backs away to charge up for a spell.

"Chester, watch out!"

Wha—the valkyrie...! I pull back, away—"Ah...!" She got my arm. Keh... I won't let that stop me...!

I grab the wooden part of her spear with my left hand and pull it down, to my left—I throw a kick at her face. Dammit, she put her shoulder in the way...

She grins. "You're the werewolf, correct...?"

Eh?

She grabs my arm with her left hand—ow...! That burn... I glance over—a silver ring...!

"Damn you...!"

"Chester!" Cless charges in and slashes at her—she pulls her spear out of my grip and jumps out of the way. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, fine." Ow, now both arms hurt... but... I notch an arrow. I need to get closer to her... I run forward and then jump high into the air—I aim at the ground below the valkyrie—"Sonic Bash!" Rocks fly up and hit her—heh...

"Fire Storm!" All right, a nice hit from the prince!

"Svana!" Hession calls out. "I have an idea—head for the entrance!"

"Right!" She heads over to the pile of rocks that lead back to the entrance. Wait...

She pulls her spear back and charges energy into it—"Sonic Thrust!" She stabs the rocks, destroying them—the area starts shaking.

"Idiot...!" Sauound calls out—Chris shoots a blast of magitech at her; keh, she dodged...

"Debris Fall!" Hession calls out—rocks start falling on us. No...! The two quickly fly towards the entrance.

"Come on, let's hurry!" We quickly start following them—whoa! Rocks fall down right in front of us. Okay, the other way... I think I remember the way—no, more rocks fall in front of that path! We're...

"We're trapped!"

Dammit all... We can't die here...! We have to meet up with the others still—Arche, Ami, Milard, Suzu, even that idiot Dhaos...

"Chester, give me an arrow."

I turn to the speaker—Sauound. "Wha...?"

"There's no time to argue! Hurry!"

"O-okay!" I hand one over to him and he pulls a rope out of his adventuring supplies. Huh...?

"Mint, heal Chester."

"Right!" She concentrates... "Cure!"

"Thanks, Mint."

Sauound hands the arrow back to me and then points up. "That is our only exit." Up... Oh right, the hole in the roof...!

"All right, leave it to me!" I aim at the hole. Please hit a tree or something useful... I pull back as far as I safely can... Here goes nothing! I release—the arrow flies through the hole, and I hear it hit something. The other end of the rope's still down here—I pull on it, hard. Well, it feels solid...

"There is no more time. Hope."

"Me first...?"

"Hurry. And leave the lantern."

"...Okay." She sets the lantern down and grabs the rope. She starts climbing up. Both Sauound and Chris are staying close, I guess to be ready to catch her if she falls. She's climbing pretty quickly...

The shaking's getting harder—rocks fall down around us.

The sunlight's blocked—I glance up. Hope made it...!

"Mint."

"Right!" She starts climbing... Hurry, we don't have much time...

"Chris." He starts climbing next—Mint's not even at the top yet, but she's close enough. She makes it up...

"Klarth." The shaking increases again—bigger rocks fall from the ceiling.

"Sauound, you next!" Cless speaks up before the prince can call out the next name.

"...What?"

"You're the heir to the throne of Odin—you go next!"

"...Very well." He starts climbing. Just me and Cless left...

"Rock-paper-scissors?" I joke.

"Chester, this _isn't_ the time..."

"Then you go."

"But..."

"Idiot, you have the Eternal Sword! That's what they're after, right?"

"Ah..."

"There's no time!"

"...Right. We'll pull you up as soon as I get there." Cless starts climbing, while I hold the rope at the bottom. I watch him. Hurry up... I don't wanna be smashed...

A piece of ceiling next to the opening falls—straight towards me. I jump to the right, holding the rope—

"Chester!"

"I'm okay! Just hurry!" Whew, that was close...

...Wait a sec. What happened to that ring... I pull it out of my pocket and put it on.

I feel a tug on the rope. All right, my turn. I grab a hold and start pulling myself up. They're pulling, too—I'm lifting faster than I would from just climbing. I'm almost there... I can smell the fresh air...

Another part of the ceiling falls—I close my eyes and brace myself—it hits a barrier and bounces away. The ring...! I stare at it—it breaks, and the pieces fall down into the mines. That _was_ a nice find...

Hands grab my arms—my friends pull me up, into the sandy area above. Whew...

"Now is not the time to rest. It will collapse beneath our feet," Sauound points out.

"L-let's get outta here!" I push myself up. We all start running, away from the area, and back out towards the desert sand. I can hear the cave collapsing behind us—I bet what little plants were there are falling into it. I hope we don't have to go back there for anything...

We slow down and stop—"Is everyone all right...?" Mint asks, out of breath.

"Yeah..."

"How about a nurse and a lunch break?"

"Sounds good to me," I agree.

The cleric smiles and starts concentrating. "Nurse!"

Ahh, that feels nice...

"Is everyone okay with sandwiches? We need to meet up with the others..."

"That's fine. As long as it's food."

The girls put together sandwiches and pass them out. They put more meat in mine than the others'. Heh... I guess we're all getting used to this crazy condition...

...I wish it was just a temporary condition... I hate it... What if I kill people, like in Friezkiel...?

But... that's why I have to try harder to control it... so that no one will get hurt again... I can't let any innocent people get hurt. I'll try harder to control it...

We finish up the sandwiches; the residents of Odin lead the way to the meeting point. Finally... we'll get to see the others again! Just a little bit further... I just hope Arche hasn't gotten herself into trouble again.

**Cless gained the title of Gentleman. Ladies first, right?**

**Klarth gained the title of Clumsy Old Man. Maybe you should watch where you walk...**

**Chester gained the title of Pathfinder. Just leave this direction stuff to me...**

**Chester gained the title of Heroic Escapist. Getting out right before the bomb explodes? Check. Getting out right before the cave collapses? Double check.**

**Jujubii-san gained the title of Crazily Creative Imagination. It is a title given to one who comes up with such a creative and amusing idea that it can almost be marked as insane.**

**Cless learned Beast Swallow Kick.**


	59. Phantasia Suspension

**Sorry for taking so long! Between puzzles and group names... and grumpy old horses...**

**...Yes. Be prepared for craziness in this chapter.**

**If you're wondering about the groups, I've actually had them grouped like that for a while (though I haven't had much of a chance to show it, besides group Dream and Chester getting separated)... So yeah. And Syukuzen no Teishi is meant to say 'Silent Suspension' (I probably messed it up somehow)... And I am so not hinting at a possible sequel and the main character with that group name.**

**...Um... Really... /swt**

**Anyway, I stopped in the middle of the dungeon place because stopping before that would make it too short and stopping later would make it too long. I just can't win! ...That and I can't think of a puzzle for the next floor. So I'm giving myself more time. Speaking of puzzles, thank you, Xantos, for helping me with the elemental puzzle!**

**Oh yeah, I forgot to say! For those of you who are wondering (and didn't ask) about how Milard's able to carry the pack, it's because she has runes on the inside.**

**Anyway, please enjoy! Let me know if I've messed up/forgotten anything... I hope I didn't.**

**And Shadw-san, sorry for not being able to use your idea! It was a very interesting suggestion, though, and you get a title for it.**

**Disclaimer: Same as always. Go back a chapter if you don't remember.**

**--Phantasia Suspension--**

Geez, it's way too hot... I hope we're almost at the meeting point. The three who are used to the desert are leading, while the other four of us are hanging in the back. I wonder how hot it is for Cless, being in all of that armor...

"I wonder where the Flamberge is," Chris speaks up, his hands behind his head. "It wasn't in either of the ruins... I can't think of any more ruins like those off the top of my head."

"We should ask around next," suggests the prince.

"Yeah, I guess so... Let's try to keep low, though, or your father will probably send knights to pick us up."

"Let him."

"Sau, that's not very helpful..."

"If he spreads himself too thin, then he risks Fenrir invading. He would not dare send but a few to find us."

"Oh... I guess you're right..."

"My assumption is that the knights at the meeting point are going to try and take us back," continues Sauound. "We may have to fight."

"Is that okay? They're part of your country..." Cless points out, worried.

"Do not worry. I will make allowances for you..."

"Hey wow, traveling with a prince isn't so bad!" Heh, now we don't have to worry so much about the politics of this era!

"...but only so long as you help me," Sauound finishes.

"...I should've know there was a catch."

Huh... something doesn't smell quite right... "We're almost there, right?" Hope speaks up.

"Correct..." He trails off. I can see why; the sand here doesn't look as smooth as before. Rather, it looks as though there was some action going on around here... And that stench... blood...? I glance around—yeah, there are dark red spots in the sand...

"What... happened...?" No... Arche... Ami... Milard... Suzu... "Where are they...?"

"They're okay... right...?" Mint sounds really worried. I understand... I really hope they're okay...

Huh? Where's Sauound going...? He bends down as we hurry over. In the sand, there's a silver colored crest... of a wolf...?

"Chester. Is this real silver?" He holds it up for me to take. Oh gee, _thanks_.

"I'm not your silver detector, you know!"

"If this is a crest made by the country of Fenrir, then it is not real silver. If it is made by Thor in an attempt to trick us, then it is real silver."

"Huh... Because of Fenrir's top division?"

He nods. "The one who left this most likely took your friends."

...I'm not sure if I want to touch it... but...

I reach out and slowly ease my fingers up until they're touching it. Nothing yet... I wrap my fingers around it. It doesn't hurt at all... "It's not silver."

"Then Fenrir." He stands and looks out across the desert. "We must hurry, then. If we catch them in Valhalla, then we can save your friends."

"Hold it, Sau. Valhalla's where the main battle's taking place!"

"Do we have any other choice? We will stop by the first checkpoint—if anyone saw the Fenrir knights, then we can ask them further details there."

Right... I pull out the wing pack and release the Rheairds. It'll be a lot faster if we fly! Cless gets on one, and I hop up behind him. He lifts us off and we fly across the desert; Dad's right behind us, then Sauound and Chris, and the girls are bringing up the rear. The ocean's ahead, though—we're approaching that fast. There are bridges—I guess we'd take those if we were going by foot—leading to an island and then the next continent. The Valhalla Plains are on the north part of that, right?

"The checkpoint is on this island," Sauound speaks up; we land on the island, between the two bridges. There's a small hill on it, and a fort on top of that hill. Three knights come down to greet us; noticing the prince, they give him a salute.

"Your highness!"

"Have Fenrir knights passed by here?"

"Yes, Sir... They must've snuck by on ships to get in. They had horses and carriages on their way back—we managed to save most of the prisoners, but..."

"There should've been some women and children among the prisoners. Did you save any of them?" Dad questions.

"We couldn't get close enough to that carriage. There were two children, two women, and a man, all asleep. Most likely cursed..."

"Then we must hurry before they reach port," Sauound speaks up.

"Right, let's get back on the Rheairds—"

"No," the prince interrupts me.

"What?! But that's the fastest way!"

"I've been studying the Rheairds," Chris speaks up. "They're good for landing and flying, but due to the wingspan and the fire output for them to run, getting them close enough to stop knights on horses will be hard. They're made for air battle, not land battle."

"So then how are we going to catch up?"

Sauound points to the base of the hill. Is that... a stable? Wait... "We're riding horses?"

"These horses are trained for combat, so they'll be perfect! You can even use magic while on them—just don't have it pop up right in front of them or they'll go berserk," Chris explains.

"We need six horses, saddled and ready, as quickly as possible," the prince orders the knights.

"Right away!" They run towards the stable.

"Six? What about me...?" Hope asks. Oh right, that won't be enough for her...

"You should stay here."

"But Sauound, I want to come, too."

"It is too dangerous."

"Maybe I can help stop the horses."

"We will be fighting."

"I'll be okay!"

Heh, this is comical... Sauound is _so_ losing at this rate!

"...No."

"Why not?"

"Chris..." The prince turns to his best friend for help.

The man walks up to her. "Hope, please stay here... We won't be gone long, promise!"

"But..."

"Have I ever lied to you? Don't worry, we have Sau and Mint to heal us, so we'll be fine!" His mouth curves into a huge smile as he talks.

"...Okay. But be careful..."

"You bet!"

Heh, Chris won that battle... I glance over at Sauound, who's watching. He looks kinda annoyed, actually... Strange guy...

The three knights are returning now, each holding the reins of two saddled horses. "These are the fastest horses we have. Good luck, your highness."

He hands his spear to one of the knights so he can mount up on the white horse. Once on, he takes his spear again.

The rest of us mount up on the horses as well.

"Cless," Sauound speaks up. "Do you wish to use a spear? It is easier with mounted combat."

My friend nods. "Right." The knights hand him a spear. That one looks normal... very different from Sauound's three-bladed spear...

"Everyone ready?" I ask. They nod in reply; and with that, we kick our horses off and head across the second bridge, towards Valhalla.

Sand fades into grass as we leave the beach. Finally... it's nice to be out of the desert! And the wind feels really cool... We race through the plains. Now that I'm out of the desert... I can see; Aselia's a nice world... Everything is so clear and natural. We've only seen a little bit of Derris-Kharlan, but... Eh, I don't think it looks as good. But maybe that's because I'm Aselian. I'm use to this world, and the people here... and I'm fine with that. This is my home.

Just as Derris-Kharlan is the home of the angels.

So then why is that Hession guy against us? His world's being hurt by the gods, but he's working for them instead... I don't understand.

There's the Tower of the Zodiac... Wow, it's from pretty far back. I wonder...

"Hey, who owns the Tower of the Zodiac? You guys or Fenrir?" I call over to Sauound.

"No one—the spirit Luna guards the area. It is said that this is one of the few places where fairies remain."

Fairies... So this is when they died out... Dwarves also died out long ago. It's surprising how many species we've never had a chance to meet, 'til we started this time traveling thing...

...That scent... we're on someone's trail, definitely. "I think we're getting closer!" I call out.

"All right!"

"Let's speed up!" Cless calls as he speeds up his horse. The rest of us also go faster. We're almost there...!

There's a river ahead, and a bridge that leads across it. There's a wagon being pulled by horses just across it... That must be them! All right... I just need to get a little bit closer and then I can shoot...

They pick up speed. Keh, they must've noticed us... Well, I guess it's time for the chase—we pick up speed, too. I slowly ready my bow and notch an arrow, letting go of the reins. The horse keeps going straight, without slowing down. It's surprisingly not too bouncy... A little bit that I have to adjust for, but...

I shoot. Keh, a miss... I notch another arrow. I just have to adjust a little—I shoot. Almost... Third arrow—and shoot; all right, got a guy off! We're getting close—I grab the reins and slow down a little, letting Cless and Sauound ahead. They both reach some of the fighter riders, swinging their spears at them. They've got that... I need to stop the guys taking the carriage. I release the reins and grab another arrow; I notch it, aim, and shoot. Heh, another hit! I've gotten the hang of this!

A small magitech blast goes off from my left—it hits another one. Only one more and then we have to worry about slowing down the horses...

"I summon thee... Come, Volt!" Volt appears right in front of the horses carrying the carriage—those horses rear up, stopping and throwing the last rider.

"Mint! Help me with the carriage horses!" Chris calls.

"Right!"

Those two hurry forward. All right, time to help Cless and Sauound... Cless first. I shoot at one—it falls.

Whoa...! An arrow barely missed me! Where'd it come from...?

There—some archer sitting on the carriage. I'm too easy to hit like this... I grab the reins and turn the horse. If I'm going to the side, it'll be harder... I let go again and notch another arrow. I release—there goes one. I quickly shoot of another arrow—heh, just one more now!

He shoots—wait—

Ow...! He hit me in the side—whoa—I grab for the horse—I missed—dammit...!

I hit the ground. That hurt... and I have an arrow in my side. Keh... Still, his aim sucks. I'm gonna show him...!

I push myself up and take aim again. He's not focused on me... I can't afford to miss... All right, there we go. I release—ah...! That hurts...! And dammit, I missed. Well, at least he 

didn't notice... I notch another arrow and aim. Okay, have to ignore the pain... Release. Ow... Well, at least I didn't flinch that time...

Ha, it hit! He's not getting up from that!

I have to keep helping... Let's see... Now there really is no one except the enemies Cless and Sauound are fighting, and those guys are almost gone... I notch an arrow and take aim again...

"I summon thee... Come, Sylph!" Oh... that takes care of them, too... All the enemies are gone, then... Time to sit.

...Ow...

"Chester!" The other three who were fighting at the end ride over to me. Cless and Dad hop off. "H-hold on, we just need Mint over here, and then we'll get that arrow..."

"Go ahead and pull it out," the prince speaks up.

"But he'll bleed..."

"I will heal him." He starts charging up.

"...Right!" My best friend turns to me. "This is going to hurt..."

"I know."

He firmly wraps his hands around the arrow, and I brace myself. He pulls—ah...!

"Heal." Most of the wound heals up. That feels a _ton_ better...

"Are you okay, Chester...?"

"Yeah. Let's get the others." My horse trots back over. ...Wait, it didn't just keep going?

"Hmph. A weak rider..." I hear the horse say. Why that...!

"I am _not_ weak!" I jump to my feet. Ack, everyone's staring now...

"Talking to the horse?" inquires the summoner.

"Ah... yeah..."

"So not only can he detect silver, but he can talk to animals as well... A circus would love him," the prince says curtly.

"_What_?!"

Without another word, he turns his horse and heads over to the carriage. Keh...! I'll show this horse who's boss... I hop on it and kick it to try and get it to go.

...It's not moving... I try again. Still nothing... "Move!"

"No."

"Move or I'm having horse stew for lunch."

_That_ got him. Finally... Wait, he's grumbling something... "Stupid humanoids, they don't understand a simple horse... They're needlessly bossy and violent... In my day..."

"Shut it, you old horse!"

"Even if I can't talk to the other humanoids, at least they call me by _name_..."

"Humor me."

"What...?"

"...In other words, tell me what it is, and I'll laugh."

"Why you...! I've _never_ dealt with such a foul kid!"

"And I've never dealt with such a grumpy old horse!"

He suddenly stops and rears—whoa...! I hold on to the mane and manage to stay on. After bucking a little, he lands on his feet again, annoyed.

"Now that was uncalled for!" I yell at the stupid thing.

"Chester, stop arguing with the horse..." Dad suddenly calls over. Ah...

"Didn't you see that?!"

"Well you _were_ arguing with it, from what I can tell."

Keh...! I get the stupid, grumpy old horse to move again, and we make it over to the carriage. Chris and Mint have gotten the horses under control, and Milard and Dhaos are out helping them. Well that settles it—we found 'em!

"Look, Sau! We have four new horses!"

Sauound nods. ...And doesn't say a thing. He turns his horse and starts riding back. Milard and Dhaos hop on the front horses of those leading the carriage and slowly turn the thing to follow the prince. The rest of us make sure to keep up with the carriage.

Well, can't say I'm too happy about seeing Dhaos again first thing, but... they're all safe... Arche, Ami, Milard, and Suzu.

Wow... Even though Arche's annoying, I guess I was pretty worried about her... Probably 'cause it's kinda strange without her there. Heh, I didn't realize how used to her I've gotten... But why should it be that different when she's gone? It's not like we'll be traveling together forever... Eventually, we're going to get home and go our separate ways, right...?

Dammit, what the hell's wrong with me?! That's a good thing—I don't want to have to put up with her forever!

"Chester...? Is something wrong...?"

"N-no! ...Why?" I ask the swordsman.

"Well, your face is a little red and you look troubled..."

Wha?! "There's nothing wrong!"

"Uh-huh..."

Keh...! I speed up the grumpy old horse and catch up with Mint, who's ahead of us.

"Is something wrong, Chester-san...?"

"No!" Why do they all have to ask?!

I hear the carriage door open, and then... That noise... It's _definitely_ Arche's broom. Heh... "Morning, sleepyhead," I call back. "Done being lazy on us?"

"Wha?! Hey now, do you _have_ to be a jerk when we finally find you again?!"

"'Finally'?" Has she also been worried...?

"Well, it's annoying to see you again, but I've missed Mint, Cless, and Klarth-sensei!"

Keh...! "Why don't you go back to sleep? It'll be a lot more peaceful for the rest of us!"

"Stupid head!"

"Dork!"

"Children!" Milard yells.

"She started it..."

"Did not, you jerk..."

"First thing... They don't waste any time," mutters my father.

Keh, Arche's annoying... Why was I so worried about her again? Why did I even want to meet up with her again?! Stupid girl...

We're coming up to the Tower of the Zodiac again. I'm so glad we don't have to go through there... _ever_ again. And time to pass by, hopefully for the last time—

The carriage door opens again. "Stop here," Suzu calls out. ...Huh?

"Wait, why?"

"Remember the Fafnir? It's reacting to something nearby..." She turns her eyes to the tower, and we all follow her gaze.

"...You're kidding me..."

"There must be another Devil's Arm in there. We should hurry." Keh, figures...

We slow down around the tower, and stop the horses under it. "What should we do with the horses?" I question.

"Chris and I will stay here," the prince offers. "Hurry back."

"Right." The rest of us hop off of our horses—or out of the carriage, for the two kids—and head inside.

Wow, it's pretty bright in here now... We head up past the first level.

Okay, here's where the song changing starts, right? What song was it again... We can always check on the stone... wait. There's a tablet in the center, but there are no words on it... I walk past the tablet and try the door—nope... "It won't budge."

"I guess we'll have to look around, then," Dad speaks up.

Heh, my sister's looking around in surprise. That's right, she didn't get to come with us last time... "Don't get too excited," I tell her. "It's the same thing for a bunch of levels with an extremely annoying guessing game." Hm... "Hey, I know. Let's split up. We'll have one group go in each direction."

"Good idea. Do you want to assign the groups?"

"Yeah!" Let's see, I need to balance them out... "Dad, Cless, and Mint can go south." That one's balanced well... They nod and head that way. Okay, I _don't_ want to be with Dhaos... or Arche... and I know I want Ami on my team...

But then again, Arche's been gone for a while... But... Hm...

"Dhaos, Suzu, and..." ...Who can put up with Dhaos? I know Suzu can...

"Onii-chan, can I go with Suzu-chan?"...Ami can put up with him as well, but... Oh wow, I guess she and Suzu are becoming pretty good friends... Heh, and they're the same age... "Sure. You guys go east."

"Okay!" They head off that way. Dhaos looks annoyed... Oh, haha! I put him with the two kids! Heh, he's going to _love_ that!

...Wait, but that means I'm stuck with...

"That means we're going west, right?" Milard asks.

"Yep! Let's hurry up and beat everyone else back!" the witch agrees. Keh...

I follow them to the west. Well, the layout looks to be the same... We go through the first door. There's a treasure chest in here... I walk over to it and open it up. Inside is a pineapple gel—I toss it to Milard, who easily catches it. The casters will need that more than I will, after all.

"Hey, why didn't you give that to me?" complains the half elf.

"Because she has the pack." I lead the way out of the room and down the hall.

"But it's not easy to get to the pack when we're in the middle of battle!"

"Oh stop complaining. I'm sure Milard will handle distributing things fine." Keh, Arche's annoying...

We go down the hall and into the next room. There's a picture on the wall of this room... It's rectangular, with the height being shorter than the width. On it is a human man fighting a monster, both crouched low so it can fit. Below the picture is a golden plaque... I read it out loud: "'Fenrilra: Once used to the land, it becomes a humanoid that fights evil.'"

"It looks like we can take this picture off..." Milard speaks up. She puts her hands on it and tries to lift it—I hurry to help her. It's actually not that heavy... "I can carry it myself."

"All right. We should probably take it with us."

I nod in response and glance over to Arche—wait, she's reading...! I set the picture down, grab her arm, and pull her away. "No reading for you! Now come on!"

"Hey, Chester, that hurts!"

I let go of her arm. "Then don't read! You know about your curse!"

"Oh... You're such a spoilsport!"

Keh, whatever... I pick up the picture and start walking out of this room and then down the hall again. We head straight to the main room. Dhaos, Ami, and Suzu are already here... with nothing.

"There was nothing of interest down our path," the angel speaks up, sounding just as cold as ever.

"We found this..." Milard motions to the picture.

Here come the last group... All three of them are carrying pictures. Odd...

"More, huh?" I show them the one that I had.

"Yeah. Each one said something different... We think it's part of the puzzle," the steed explains.

"Well, let's look at all of them." Dad sets his down, and the rest of us follow suit. "Chester, you start."

"Right. I think it was called a Fenrilra. 'Once used to the land, it becomes a humanoid that fights evil.'"

"This one was an Aeros. 'Its fins turn into wings and water becomes air.'" Cless' picture is one of a bird-like creature.

"This one's also about water... Aquan. 'It is born in the water and unable to take the land.'" The cleric's picture shows a small fish...

"And finally, this one is Earthis. 'It grows heavy, so it sheds its feathers and lands on the ground.'"

"So then... Born in water..." I take the Aquan picture and put it on the bottom of the empty tablet. It fits perfectly. "Water becomes air..." Aeros picture above that... "Lands on the ground..." Next up is the Earthis picture... "And then used to land..." And the Fenrilra picture's last.

There's a click—we walk over to the door and it opens. "Let's go!" We head into the next room and then up the stairs to the second floor.

A few fairies stare at us nervously before hurrying through the doors leading upstairs. They're open...! I hurry over to the doors to open them—dammit, locked already. I walk back, around the center tablet, so I can see the front... Maybe that'll tell us what to do this time.

Well, there are words on it... "...Don't tell me that Arche's the only one who can read this..."

"'To combat ice, one needs fire. To combat air, one needs earth,'" Dhaos reads out loud. "'The world needs all—if one is lost, then all are lost.' ...It is in angelic."

Wow, looks like he's good for something... "Elements, huh? Then let's split up and figure out exactly what it wants—it has to be somewhere around here!"

"Right!"

"Same groups?" Everyone agrees with me. ...Hm... "Okay, then for a little bit of fun, try to think up group names while you're going," I tell them.

"Group names...?"

"Yeah, why not? It'll be fun. And since we're staying in these groups..."

"Okay!" Ami happily agrees.

"Let's also rotate which path we go down, counter-clockwise," suggests the meerkat. "That way one group isn't stuck with the same path every time."

"Sounds good. That means we're going south this time!" I lead the way, and the other groups head off their own way. Heh, this'll be fun, trying to come up with a group name...

"So do you have an idea, Chester?" the half elf questions as we head down the hall.

"An idea for what?"

"An idea for our group name!"

"Hm... I'm still thinking about that."

"Well we found the Fenrilra picture, so we get dibs on that!" suggests Arche.

"Sounds too much like Fenrir..."

"Agreed..."

"Oh, right... But the description fits us..."

We reach the fork in the road—let's go left here... "How about something with Yggdrasil?"

"Anyone could use that, though..." complains the half elf.

"Okay, then _you_ come up with something better!" I enter the first door, and the girls follow me. Huh... There's a large, blue sphere in here... It's dark, though...

"This must be ice."

"What should we do?"

"Hm..." Milard puts a hand on the thing. "Maybe if we can activate it somehow..." She backs up. "Arche, try using an ice spell on it."

"Okay!" The witch begins charging up. Okay, group name... Hm, this is hard...

"Ice Tornado!" The spell hits the orb and absorbs into it. The thing lights up, bright blue.

A fire monster appears in front of it and starts sending fire at the thing—wait a sec! I quickly notch an arrow and aim. To combat fire, you need ice...! "Ice Fang!" The fire turns to me and hisses—it throws fire at me—ow!

"Resist!" Milard's runes float around me.

"Glimmer Shot!" It throws more fire at me—it hurts, but not as much... Must be because of the runes.

"Maelstrom!" Water appears below the enemy and catches its flames. It yelps again and throws a large blast of fire at us.

I shoot at it again. "Ice Fang!" It seems to hate that most... Keh, it dodged...

"Heal!"

"Thanks!" I call out to the healer as I shoot. And another shot... dodged again...

"Ice Tornado!" All right! This thing should be gone soon!

"Serpent Seal!" Runes fly at the enemy right before I shoot—ha, didn't miss this time!

"Ice Fang!" The creature screeches—it falls to the ground, and its flames die out. Within seconds, its completely gone, as if it had never been there.

"We can't lose with my archery!"

"And my runes."

"Don't forget my spells!"

"...Don't those usually hurt _us_ more?" I mutter.

"Hey now! I'm the only one here who could power up that orb!"

"...I know a group name for us, since we have Arche. The Disasters."

"_What_?!"

Heh heh... "Come on, let's go." I lead the way out of the room and to the left, into the next room. There's nothing in here.. I exit and walk back down the hall, towards the fork.

"Hey Chester, is your animal the fox or the wolf now?"

"...What?"

"You were fox-boy before, but now you've become a wolf!"

"Fox-wolf...?" Milard questions.

"I guess... That's kinda odd..." I hadn't really thought about it 'til now...

"Hey, we all have animals, but we never really mention them... Why don't we use them more?" suggests the weasel.

"How?"

"Um, well..."

I enter the first room past the fork—nothing here. I lead the way to the next room, and the girls follow. "I'm waiting."

"I... I don't know..."

Heh. Figures. A half-thought-out plan, like always.

I enter the next room—oh look, another orb. This one's green... "What element now? Earth?"

"I would assume so... Arche?"

"I'm on it!" She concentrates. "...Glaive!" Rocks come up below the sphere and then absorb into it—it glows a bright green color.

A monster appears—this one's made out of wind, and barely visible... It charges quickly at us—I jump out of the way.

"Ah...!"

"Arche! Milard!"

"We're fine! Just take it out!"

"Right!" This time earth—I run forward and jump up into the air, aiming down at the ground. "Sonic Bash!" Stones fly up, hitting the creature. I shoot at it again—"Piercing Line!"

It charges at me, like a whirlwind—ahh...!

"Serpent Seal!"

"Debris Fall!" I quickly jump back as huge boulders fall on the wind spirit. I aim—and shoot. And I shoot again. Heh, this thing will be done in no time with us fighting it!

"Pyre Seal!" The thing's thrown back. Angry, it sends a huge blast of wind at us—ah...! Ow! I hit the wall... Ah, so did the girls...!

Okay, that's it...! I run forward again and jump in the air. "Sonic Bash!" I land. "Giga Fang!" The large arrow goes through the thing, and the winds die down. I think it's gone... Phew.

Hey, I got an idea for the animal-thing Arche was suggesting... Not that I was trying to, of course... Oh, and maybe I can tie the Fenrilra thing in...

"Fantasy fox-wolf."

Arche grins wildly. "Weasel!" she cheers.

"Meerkat!"

"Group..."

"Suspension!" the weasel quickly pipes up.

"...What?"

"Destroyers of evil!" Milard finishes for me.

"Hold on. Suspension?"

"Well I had to think of something fast! Besides, it sounds cool!"

"Uh-huh..."

"I think it works." Both girls are against me...

"That sounds kinda odd alone..."

"Well, how about our big group be Fantasy? Hm... But that seems a little plain like that... Fantasia? Oh, or better yet, with a 'ph' instead of an 'f'! That'd look better."

"You can't even _read_ right now!"

"Oh shut up! I still know how to read!"

"Phantasia Suspension, then?" Milard quickly intervenes.

"I guess..."

"Suspension for short!"

"Whatever. Let's just get back to the others." I lead the way out. We walk down the hall, back to the fork. We turn left down it and head back to the main room. Everyone's already there and waiting. "We got the ice and earth orbs," I tell them.

"We got fire," Dad speaks up.

"And ours was air." Suzu says.

"Has anyone tried the door?"

"Not yet. Let's go!" Cless leads the way—the door opens.

"So did you guys come up with group names?" I ask.

"Oh yeah, we were thinking we could call our party as a whole Phantasia! With a 'ph' instead of an 'f'!" Arche explains.

"Her idea."

"That sounds good." The swordsman smiles back at her as he walks up the stairs.

"And we're group Suspension," the other member of my group adds.

"We're group Syukuzen!" Ami says happily.

"...What does that mean?"

"Group secret," the ninja pipes up. Hey wait a second... "Originally Syukuzen no Teishi." ...Now she's adding more... I wonder what all of that means...

"We're group Dream. Short for 'The Dream Will not End'," Mint explains.

"Are we the only ones who just had one word that doesn't really make sense?" Keh...

"Sounds like it," says the steed.

"But we came up with Phantasia!"

"So then... Phantasia Suspension, Phantasia Syukuzen, and Phantasia Dream," concludes Milard.

"Yeah, something like that..." I walk over to the tablet in the center. I already don't see any words, which is a bad sign.

Huh... There are eight buttons on it. I press one. A high-pitched _ding_ sounds throughout the room. I press another—it's lower pitched.

"There must be an order to this... Let's go," Cless says, and we all nod. My group heads down the east path this time.

We head into the first door. There's a statue with a sign and button on it... The statue is of a world... Huh, from the shape of the continents, it looks to be Aselia... I read the sign below it: "'A long time ago, the world was no more than a barren wasteland with no mana and no life.'" I press the button—it creates a... medium length, I'd say, _ding_ sound.

"I guess we have to remember how that sounds..."

"Naturally."

"How exactly is that natural...?" I press it again. Okay, I think I've got it...

We head out of this room and down the hall. We enter the next room.

This one has all of the same items, but the statue's in a different shape... This time, it looks to be of humans—no, elves—planting something... I read the sign again: "'The elves 

brought with them a seed to represent themselves and their world, a seed to protect them in their new world.'" I press the button. I think this _ding_ is a little bit lower—hard to tell, though—than the last... It's also longer... and it fades out at the end. "All right, I think I've got it. Let's head back."

We walk back to the main area—this time we're the first group. I start playing around with the buttons—I need to find those two before I forget... Ah, here we go. The top two on the right.

Phantasia Dream's returning. "I'm guessing every room has a sound," Dad says.

"Yeah... Ours are the top two on the right." I motion to the tablet.

"Hm..." Dad starts playing around with the buttons now to find his group's sounds. "This one..." Second one down on the left. "...And this one." Third down on the right.

"Great... That'll definitely help us with this puzzle."

Here comes Phantasia Syukuzen. ...Haha, Ami looks troubled, trying to remember stuff. "What's the matter, can't remember your sounds? Maybe I should confuse you some..." I reach towards the tablet.

"Ah, Onii-chan, don't!" she grabs my arm, and I laugh.

"Let's start with the story," Dhaos says, trying to get our attention back on that. He's no fun at all...

"Right... I'll start." Let's see, what was that first one... Oh yeah. "'A long time ago, the world was no more than a barren wasteland with no mana and no life.'"

The meerkat recites our other one: "'The elves brought with them a seed to represent themselves and their world, a seed to protect them in their new world.'"

"'Inevitably, the two great countries used their new technology to engage in war.'" That was from Dad.

"'Many species coexisted, making different countries with different rulers. They got along so well that some people were caught in between,'" says the swordsman.

Dhaos' turn. "'The world stayed stable and lifeless until a planet of mana came into its orbit.'"

The sparrow's up next. "'The different countries then started competing in technology, using magic to further their creations.'"

"Ah, um..." ...My sister _would_ be the first to stumble.

"What, can't remember?"

"H-hey, Onii-chan...!"

"'From the seedling sprouted a great tree, which supplied mana to the world. Under the tree, life thrived,'" the angel speaks up for her.

"'From the planet of mana descended intelligent creatures that easily wielded mana,'" finishes Suzu.

"...That's pretty long..." Okay, let's see... "The world as a wasteland would go first, right?"

"Then... the planet coming close..." Cless thinks.

"Elves coming would be next," Arche speaks up. "Then planting the tree... After that, the tree thriving." Wait, when'd she get so good? "Then..." Oh, now she's stumbling.

"The countries being made," Dad speaks up. "Next is magitech, and then finally the war." He turns to group Syukuzen. "Figure out which button's which for your stories, and then we should be ready."

They nod, and Dhaos tests the buttons. "...All right."

"All right then, everyone press yours as it comes up!" I say; that means I start. Second one down on the right first... I watch as the others press the buttons. Next is third down on the left, then the one below that. I press the top one on the right; bottom on that column's next, then second one down on the left. After that is the top one on the left, and finally the third one down on the right.

The sounds play through one more time before a click sounds past the tablet. "All right, that's another puzzle down! Let's hurry up and get out of this place!" We head through the door, and up to the next floor.

**Chester gained the title of Phantasia Suspension. It is a title given to a member of Phantasia's group Suspension.**

**Arche gained the title of Phantasia Suspension. It is a title given to a member of Phantasia's group Suspension.**

**Milard gained the title of Phantasia Suspension. It is a title given to a member of Phantasia's group Suspension.**

**Cless gained the title of Phantasia Dream. It is a title given to a member of Phantasia's group Dream.**

**Mint gained the title of Phantasia Dream. It is a title given to a member of Phantasia's group Dream.**

**Klarth gained the title of Phantasia Dream. It is a title given to a member of Phantasia's group Dream.**

**Ami gained the title of Phantasia Syukuzen. It is a title given to a member of Phantasia's group Syukuzen.**

**Suzu gained the title of Phantasia Syukuzen. It is a title given to a member of Phantasia's group Syukuzen.**

**Dhaos gained the title of Phantasia Syukuzen. It is a title given to a member of Phantasia's group Syukuzen.**

**Shadw-san gained the title of Lunar Adventurer. It is a title given to one who suggests a good, but sadly unused, idea for the Lunar Eclipse.**

**Milard learned Serpent Seal.**

**Milard joined the party.**

**Dhaos joined the party.**

**Arche joined the party.**

**Suzu joined the party.**

**Ami joined the party.**

**Sauound left the party.**

**Chris left the party.**


	60. Indiscriminate Teaser

**...Yeah. I had troubles with a title for Chester this time. It's hard to think up a new title for him every chapter! But he teased quite a few people in this chapter, so... Oh, I guess this kinda conflicts with Caring Jerk... the difference, though, is that Caring Jerk is saying that he teases the people he cares about more than others. He still teases everyone, though. ...If that makes any sense.**

**Anyway, Frostneko-san gets a title for the item placed in the Tower of the Zodiac! Why that one? Because it's very mystic, I think. And it fits. Thank you for your suggestion, Frostneko-san!**

**And I didn't take so long for once! Yay!**

**So, I hope you enjoy! Please let me know if there's anything I can improve on throughout the story!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Tales of games. They're owned by Namco.**

**--Indiscriminate Teaser--**

There are some more fairies on this floor! They notice us and pause—then, they turn and head through the door.

"Hey, wait!" I run after them—the door slams closed right before I get there. Keh... I walk around the tablet to look at the front of it—what'll it want from us now? ...Huh, more writing... We all turn to Dhaos.

"It's not angelic," he states simply.

"It's runes," Milard speaks up.

"What the heck? What's with all of these languages?"

"I'd guess it's to protect the fairies," answers the summoner.

"There are some runes missing... We'll probably have to figure out what they are."

"Well what does it say now?"

"'Mithos used the' something 'to split the' something 'in half.' Someone else 'mastered the sword'... next part is missing... 'reunite the'... and the rest is missing."

"So should we just memorize any ruins we find for you?"

"Write them down. Here..." She passes out a sheet of paper and a pencil to the other groups. "I'll put it together once we have the runes."

"Right!"

"Back to the path we went down the first time?" I ask as I start walking to the west. Milard and Arche follow me, while everyone else goes their own way accordingly.

We enter the first door—whoa... On the small platform in here, there's a rune made of light floating in the air.

"Interesting... That's the rune for 'world' or 'worlds'."

"Huh... Well, I guess we'll figure out exactly what it says when we get back."

"Yes. Let's go to the next room." The meerkat leads the way out, and Arche and I follow.

"Hey Chester, Milard..." Arche speaks up. We stop and turn to her. She's staring at the ground...

"What's up?"

"Well, it's about how the writing keeps changing... What if the next tablet's in elven, like when we came here in our time?"

"...Then we're screwed."

"H-hey, what's that supposed to mean?!"

"We'll deal with that if it is. Until then, worrying will do us no good." Aw, Milard's ruining my fun...

"...Right. Then let's go!" The half elf leads the way now.

We reach the second room. There's a floating rune in here as well... "This one's a name. Let's see..." She studies it, and then thinks. "Hm... I think that'd be Lloyd..."

Lloyd? The Lloyd we know? Oh yeah, wasn't he trying to find a way for both worlds to live or something? "Probably. Let's get back and fill it in." The girls nod, and we head back to the main room.

We're the first ones here again. We stare at the tablet again. "So Lloyd goes in for the name..." Milard draws runes in the air, right over the tablet—they melt onto the tablet.

"I think the last rune should be that world one."

"Right..." She draws again, and that melts into the last place on the tablet.

Group Syukuzen is returning now. Dhaos silently hands the paper over, and the meerkat stares at it. "'In order to'..." She stares up at the tablet again. "Lloyd mastered the sword in order to reunite the worlds..." She draws that in.

The final group returns. "Here, Milard," Dad says as he hands over a sheet of paper.

"...'Eternal Sword'... 'Mithos used the Eternal Sword to split the world in half. Lloyd mastered the sword in order to reunite the worlds.'" She fills the rest in—and there's a click. We hurry through the door.

Upon seeing the stares to the next room, Milard glances at us. "For those who have been here before, how many floors are left?"

"Too many," I mutter.

"Don't ask me, I didn't keep count."—Arche. Should've guessed.

"Klarth?"

"Don't ask me, either. I was possessed."

I laugh—that just sounds funny. "Oh right. Arche and I were so mad at you because you cheated!"

"I didn't really do anything, though."

"But we thought it was you. I guess it would've been Thor and Odin that we were _really_ mad at."

"You know, now that I think about it, you'd make a horrible bad guy," Arche speaks up.

"You guys seemed to be convinced from Odin's display."

"...You'd still make a horrible bad guy if it was just you," I input.

"Well, I guess that's a compliment... right?"

"Not necessarily. The bad boy types are usually popular with girls!" Arche says happily. "Either that or the nice guy, like Cless. Sorry, Klarth-sensei, but you don't fit either bill."

"But Klarth-san has his nice qualities as well," the cleric speaks up.

"Mint, what did we talk about with boosting his ego?"

"Ah..."

We reach the next floor—the fairies around here stare at us, considering. They mutter among themselves... before hurrying through the door towards the next level. Keh... We walk over to the tablet. "...Okay, what language this time?"

"Not angelic."

"Or runes..."

"...Ah great. Arche?" I turn to her—she's zoned out. "Arche!" I step in front of her, grab her shoulders, and shake.

"H-hey, stop that!"

"Then stop going delusional on us! It's creepy!"

"So it's in elven..."

"Arche-chan..." Milard walks over. "The curse has been on you for a while, hasn't it? And it's already reached its peak... You might be able to read if you concentrate. We're going to move Chester away, and you have to remember that no matter what you see, he's not doing anything except standing far behind you."

"...Okay."

I let go and walk past the others, so they're in between me and her. I hope these crazy visions stop...

She stares at the tablet. I can't see her face, so I can't tell what she's thinking...

"Arche-chan, stay focused."

"I'm trying..."

Keh, I wish I could do something while waiting, but we have no clue what to do on this level...

But... You know, I guess I'm not the only one this curse is hard from. It's hard for Arche to tell the difference between reality and fantasy with that thing... Maybe I've been a little hard on her. But she's trying hard now... C'mon, Arche, you can break it...

"'Something... not human... sings...'" She's doing it...! "'A gallant song is needed.'" She turns to us, a huge smile on her face. "That's what it says!"

"Great job, Arche!"

"I'm so glad!"

Everyone compliments her. Heh... I'll compliment her once we've split up... in my own way, of course.

"Let's find that gallant song!" she cheers, before flying past all of us, towards the south. Milard and I follow, and the other groups go their own ways.

"Well," I start, once we're separate. "Looks like you're not delusional anymore..."

"Of course not! It was a curse!"

"You're still crazy."

"I'd watch out if I were you; I can learn Judgment now!"

"Hey now, isn't Fire Storm enough?!"

"Not for you!"

"Arche-chan, you shouldn't use spells on your teammates," Milard speaks up.

"Aw, but that's no fun..."

At the fork, the half elf turns to the right. We enter the first door—the switch is on the opposite side. I walk over and pull it—music starts up—it's that dark, melancholy tune. "Not this one." We head out of hear and then walk into the next room. There's another switch in here—I pull it. ...Nothing happened. I try again. ...Still nothing.

"I guess that one's broken..." mutters the witch.

"I hope it wasn't the gallant song..." I lead the way out of the room, and the girls follow.

As we walk down the hall, the music changes—a happy, upbeat tune. "...I don't think that was it." I reach the next door—as I grab the handle, the music changes again. ...This is it, the gallant tune. "Looks like someone found it."

"Then let's get back!" We ignore the door and head back to the main area.

Everyone else is hurrying back as well. "Okay, let's get this place over with already!" We head to the door—it opens.

...What the? All of the fairies are in here... They're gathered around, worried.

"Okay, what's going on here? And stop running from us!"

The fairies turn to me, surprised. "You made it all the way up?!"

"Oh good, so no more puzzles?"

"Excuse me, but what's going on here?" Mint steps forward.

"There's a dark artifact up ahead... Luna's been trying to get rid of it, but..."

"A Devil's Arm," the ninja speaks up. "We will take it off your hands."

"Can you...?"

Suzu nods and then walks forward; the rest of us follow. We walk up the stairs, into the final room.

In the center of the pedestal here is a black feathered quill. "The Nidhogg..." Suzu carefully picks the thing up; Milard offers her the pack, and the sparrow puts it in there.

"Do we get to hear more of that story now?" I question.

The young girl closes her brown eyes and pauses a second. She then opens them. "After the Devil's Arms were destroyed, they were left to rot in darkness for thousands of years. One day, a scientist found them. He took their remains back with them and recreated them, into new items." She stops.

"So then why are they in strange places now...?"

"...That is enough for now."

"Can't you tell it all at once?"

"We have people waiting for us." She turns and starts heading back out. Keh... The rest of us follow.

The fairies are all still in this next room. They watch us curiously as we exit.

"Don't worry," Mint speaks up with a smile. "We've taken the dark item away, so you'll be safe from now on!"

"Yay!" The fairies start cheering and dancing around us. ...Wow, this is strange...

"Heh heh, they're kinda cute!" Arche says happily.

"Sure, if by cute you mean annoying..."

"They're not annoying at all, Chester..."

"Hey, Cless, you're supposed to be on my side!"

"This is fascinating...!" We all turn to Dad, who's studying the fairies. "This must be a victory dance or something..."

Arche and I both start pushing him on. "No researching for you!"

"Come on, we have gods to beat, remember? This isn't a field trip!"

"But they're so cute..." Ami complains, lagging behind.

"We have a mission to accomplish. We should hurry." The angel leads the way out.

Again, it's a _ton_ easier to get out of this place than to get in. Within no time, we're back down at the bottom, where the prince and Chris are waiting.

"With how long you took, it will be night soon," Sauound says curtly.

"What, scared of camping out?"

He scowls. "Of course not. I am more concerned with wasting time."

"Yeah, whatever. I think you're just too pampered to want to camp."

"I do not mind camping."

"Still don't believe you!"

"Um, well... Sau and I are just worried about Hope... She's our best friend, so we'd like to get back to her soon," Chris explains.

With one final glare to me, Sauound hops up on his horse. "We should hurry back." Everyone else—save the kids—hop up on their horses as well. ...Wait... I still get the grumpy old guy, don't I...?

"Hmph. You're back," the horse says, annoyed.

"Oh no. Someone trade with me."

"What, can't ride a simple horse?" teases the weasel.

"Shut it! This horse is grumpy and old!"

"Chester had an argument with the horse earlier," my best friend explains.

"Ooh..."

"Sorry, Chester, but it seems you're stuck with it."

"Fine, then I'm going to teach this horse a lesson..." I hop on, and grab the—whoa! I grab the mane as it kicks—"Stop that!"

"Hmph, you sure are a stubborn human..."

"And you're a grumpy old horse! Now remember who's predator and who's prey!"

The horse huffs again, but it moves when I kick. I take the reins. Whew, that seemed to work... The others keep up with me.

"Chester, maybe you should try being a little _nicer_ to the horse..."

"It's the one who started being mean to me!"

"That doesn't mean you have to retort," my father puts in.

"Whatever. Let's just get back to the stables quickly!"

"Now who's in a hurry?" The prince's blue eyes are staring coldly at me.

"Shut up!" We're in a forest, so I don't want to go too fast—this stupid horse doesn't seem to think about my legs when it passes trees. Ow...! Like that... I turn the reins to avoid hitting any more trees as we hurry through the forest...

Finally, out of the forest. We pick up speed.

"Hey, Sauound, I was wondering..." The prince turns to Cless curiously. "That spear you use—does it have a name?"

"...Yes." He turns his head so that he's facing forward again. "It is the Gungnir."

"The Gungnir... Where did you get it from?"

"Farther had it made for me by the most skilled blacksmith he could find." He glances at the swordsman again. "Why do you ask?"

"It's just... I've heard of that spear before."

"Where?"

Cless pauses, thinking. "...I guess it doesn't really matter. People have probably heard about it since it's your spear." ...Which means he heard about it in the future.

Sauound thinks about this a little bit more before silently turning forward again.

We're coming up on the ocean—I can see the bridge that we passed to get here. Just a little bit further...

We slow down as we cross the bridge, until we're at a walk. As soon as we reach the other side of the bridge, Hope and a few knights come down to greet us.

"Oh good, everyone's okay..." Hope breathes easily.

"I apologize for taking so long. Our companions wished to make a pit stop." I _really_ don't like this prince sometimes...!

"Have you been holding up well, Hope?" Chris asks.

"Yes. The knights here are all really nice!"

As the friends talk, we all get off of our horses and the kids exit the carriage. The knights take the horses away. Finally... won't have to see that grumpy old horse again. I'll stick to the Rheairds from now on.

Ah wait... but with Sauound, Chris, and Hope, we have too many for the Rheairds... I guess we're walking.

"Let us head back." Sauound starts walking. We follow... Time for a long journey across the desert, then.

"We should be able to make it to Olive. We can ask around there—it's so close to the castle that no one will question it or tell your father."

"Yes... We will just have to be cautious."

"Okay!"

"At the first oasis, maybe we should stop and have something to eat," suggests the cleric.

"That sounds good—I'm starving!"

"No surprise there..."

"You're a bottomless pit, Chester."

"I am not, you dolt!"

"Jerk!"

"Stop arguing," the prince intervenes. Wait a sec, he only recently joined up with us! ...I guess we do argue a little too much... but Arche's fun to pick on.

Ah, there's the oasis... We walk over to it and find a spot under the trees for our picnic. We sit down, and Milard sets the pack down where we can all easily reach it.

"Mint-san, will you teach me how to make something?" questions my sister.

"Of course!"

"I'll help."

"Oh, let me help, too!"

"Oh no," I speak up—Arche helping would be a disaster! "If you help, all of the food will be ruined."

"_What_?!"

"I-I think we have more than enough people..." The dove holds her hands up, trying to keep the peace. Most of the girls begin cooking while the rest of us relax.

"It's nice to be able to just sit back and relax every now and then..." Dad takes his had off and leans back on a tree.

"Yeah. We've done so much running around... I think the last time we relaxed is when we went on that triple date!" Dad falters. Haha!

"Triple date...?" Milard questions, trying to figure out the pairings.

"Chester, weren't you going out with Lynn then?" Cless points out.

"Ah..."

"And then she turned on us. Some judgment you have," the weasel pipes in.

"Shut up!"

"Oh, speaking of, I should study that book now!" She reaches her gloved hand into the pack and searches for the book. Before long, she finds it and brings it out. "Heehee..." She starts 

flipping through the pages, studying it. ...I'm not sure if I want her to know that spell... but then again, I guess it'll help us in the future...

"...Lynn?" Sauound asks me.

"Ah... my ex-girlfriend." Let's see, what last name was she using at the time... Oh yeah! "Lynn Gimli." It'd be a little weird to explain that she's a goddess... especially when these people haven't even heard of the gods.

He says nothing in reply—he turns and stares back at the water, uninterested.

"I'm at a loss as to where the Flamberge could be, though," the scientist speaks up. "We've tried both ruins that we know of... They're the only desert ruins that the books in our library mention."

"Are you sure you didn't miss a book?" I question.

"Trust me, with Sauound on the job, we didn't miss a single book. He's been practically glued to books ever since he learned how to read." I stare at the silent guy. I guess that makes sense... "He's read every book in the Odin library—a few times."

"_Every_?!"

Sauound shrugs. "It is a good pastime."

"Pastime?! When you've ready every book?! How big is this library?!"

"Huge!"

"I read quickly."

"I'd say!" Wow... I didn't know anyone could read _that_ much...

"He's written some books, too! About Aselia's history, about magitech, about math theories... Pretty much, if he's studying it, he'll eventually bring his findings together!"

"Interesting... I'd like to see some of the books you've written at some point." Dad wipes his forehead—it's still way too hot in the desert...

"They are in the library."

"It's really impressive that you know so much, Sauound-san," Mint says as she and the other cooks return with food. It smells good...! They pass out bowls. It's meat stew. "Thanks!"

"I hope you enjoyed it!"

"...Before I eat. How much of this did Ami cook?"

"Why are you asking?" my sister questions, her face puffed up with annoyance.

"Just want to know if I'm going to die beforehand."

"What?! Onii-chan! I'm not a bad cook! I've been cooking while you were at college!"

"You mean when the Alveins didn't actually cook for you?"

"I had to make my own meals, too! I'm a big girl!"

"Really...?" I put my hand on her head and mess up her hair. "Then why are you so small?"

"Ah, Onii-chan...!"

"Chester, stop picking on your sister..." Dad speaks up.

"Heh..." I grab the spoon that's already in the bowl and take a bite. "Hey, this is actually pretty good!"

"Thank you, Mint, Ami, Hope!"

"Heehee, no problem, Cless-san!"

"I'm glad you like it..."

"What about you, Chris...?"

"It's delicious! Thank you, Hope!"

"It is excellent," Sauound adds, though kinda quietly.

After the compliments are done, we eat in silence. I guess everyone's pretty hungry. I guess we don't really sit back and relax that often, except when eating or at night... We've been on an adventure for a long time now. It's had happiness, sadness, crazy stuff... Still, overall... I'm kinda enjoying myself. It's nice being here with everyone... and we're getting to know each other pretty well. No one else knows what we're going through, or what we've already been through. When I think about it like that...

...Ugh, this is sounding way too soppy. Anyway, point of story, even though it's been hard, I'm glad for this adventure.

...And it's kinda a strange adventure, come to think about it. Seriously, gods, possession, time travel, werewolves...

...Now if only I didn't have this werewolf thing to worry about... Keh, stupid Fenrir... I'm gonna make her pay for what she did to me...!

Looks like everyone's finishing up. The girls take the empty bowls from us. We start gathering our stuff again. It wasn't a long rest, but it was still a good one. Everyone's ready now... We leave the oasis and continue our hike through the sand. I think some of it's getting in my boots... It might be easier to travel through the desert as—

No. I don't like being a wolf.

"We can take a shortcut through these mountains," Sauound speaks up. "We will pass by the castle, but we can get by unnoticed as long as we do not make too much noise?" Without another word, he walks towards a pass in the mountains.

"Are you sure?"

"Don't worry, we know what we're doing!" Chris says with a wink as he and Hope walk behind Sauound. The rest of us follow as well. We're going towards the castle, from what I can tell...

That scent... "Something smells foul... Keep an eye out." I pull my bow off of my back as I say that and glance around. I notch an arrow on it, just in case. The others also prepare themselves as we walk on. It's growing stronger...

"There!" Cless charges forward—we look—what the?! There's a humongous, green spider coming towards us—I pull up my bow and shoot at it. The arrow hits, but the thing doesn't even pause—it shoots a web at the swordsman. He dodges and strikes at it. The other fighters also charge forward, while the casters prepare their spells. Chris and I hang back with the casters to shoot at the thing.

"Sharpness!"

"Power Seal!"

The healers are already on the job. I notch another arrow and shoot—another hit. I shoot again. Wait, what's it doing...? There's a green gas coming out of its mouth—the fighters cough. Poison?!

I shoot again. This thing's going down...!

"Eruption!"

"Judgment!" Fire and wind explode around the creature, and our close-combat teammates back up. The spells clear up—it survived?! Keh...

"I summon thee... Come, Maxwell!" The old summon spirit appears from a distortion in space. He raises his staff, and many large bubbles attack the thing. All right...!

...And it's still up. Keh... I shoot again—and a second time.

"Antidote," Sauound calls out, stepping back to help the healers.

"Nurse!"

"Thanks, Mint, Sauound!" Cless prepares himself for an attack. "Rising Phoenix!"

"Serpent Seal!"

I shoot again.

"Ah...!" That sounds like—Ami...! She's been caught up in a web—Cless has been caught, too! Suzu jumps over it, managing not to get caught. "Ice Storm!" She throws a dagger at it, and an area of ice erupts around the dagger.

Dhaos rushes forward to help with the close combat. "Shadow Rush!" It's getting weaker. Just a little bit more...

Something sticky touches my arm. W-what the?! A web—I spin around—there's another one?! The web wraps around me—ah...! It's squeezing, and sucking blood... The spider advances.

"Jiraiya!" Suzu summons her large frog and jumps on top of it—it opens its mouth and breathes fire onto the second spider.

"Chris, help Cless and Ami."

"Got it!" There's a blast of magitech—what's going on?!

The prince rushes over, in front of me—he swings the Gungnir down on the web—it gets caught.

"Hey, watch out...!"

"Flame Lance." Fire charges around his spear, and a spear made of fire comes down from the air, onto the web—it cuts it. The part holding me loosens. I still can't get out, though...

"Recover!" I hear Mint calling out.

"Heal!"—Milard.

"Mirror Image!" Suzu continues fighting the spider as Sauound charges up. His spear's not on fire anymore...

"Recover." His spell reaches me, and the web dissolves into thin air. "Thanks!" I notch another arrow. That _hurt_. And the healers are all pretty busy, with the poison and webs... Keh, it'd be useful if I could heal myself...

And why can't I? Because I don't use that divine power magic stuff? Which is internal magic... it's inside everyone, right...?

I aim at the thing. "Life Stealer!" My arrow hits—green bubbles come back to me as the arrow dissolves—that feels a little better.

"Earthquake!"

"I summon thee... Come, Origin!" One spell on each spider, from the looks of it. I shoot at mine again.

Cless and Ami rush past me.

"Soaring Blast!" my sister attacks the thing.

I shoot again—"Glimmer Shot!"

"Fire Storm." Sauound joins the spell casters now. Geez, talk about an all around fighter... I think he has Dhaos beat on that!

"Nurse!"

"Pyre Seal!"

It throws the front line back a little with its front leg. I have a good shot...

"Piercing Line!" ...and I'm not about to let it go to waste!

"Light Spear!" Cless attacks the thing with a rising sword combo.

"Ray!"

"Stalagmite!"

Light attacks it from above, and seconds later comes rocks from below. That took care of it!

"That was a great win! It deserves a victory dance!" my kid sister says as she jumps up on one foot, holding her hammer up in the air. Victory dance...? Did she get that silly idea from the fairies...?

"This is not the time to play. Let's hurry on," Dhaos quickly interrupts.

"Aww..."

We start walking.

"H-hold on!" Chris calls from behind us—we spin around. He and Hope are standing by Sauound, who's breathing pretty hard. The rest of us run over to them.

"What's going on?"

"Sau, you know you shouldn't overexert yourself like that..."

"I'm fine!"

"No you're not! You're pushing yourself too much!"

"It was either that or I let the monsters kill us."

"How can you say that?! Sauound, at this rate—"

"That is enough!" the prince snaps. "I will be fine. We should hurry." He turns and starts walking, while the rest of us stare at him.

"What's up with him lately...?" Chris mutters. "He never used to snap at me like that... It's like his fuse is getting shorter and shorter every day..."

"With his life at stake, can you really blame him...?" questions Hope. "We just have to do our best to support him..."

"What's going on? Is he going to..."

"...I promised I wouldn't say. But... you might find out what's going on with him during your travels." With that, the scientist starts walking. My friends and I exchange confused glances before hurrying to catch up. Is Sauound... dying...?

**Arche gained the title of Supreme Concentration. I can hold my concentration pretty well—it helps get rid of annoying curses!**

**Ami gained the title of Self-Sufficient Kid. It is a title given to a kid who can take care of herself.**

**Chester gained the title of Indiscriminate Teaser. It doesn't matter who you are—if you give him an opportunity, he'll tease you!**

**Frostneko-san gained the title of Mystic Lunar Neko. It is a title given to one who places magical artifacts in lunar places, giving them a very mystic feeling.**

**Arche learned Judgment.**

**Suzu learned Ice Storm.**

**Chester learned Life Stealer.**

**Sauound joined the party.**

**Chris joined the party.**

**Obtained the Nidhogg.**


	61. Chess Rookie

**I hit page 500! Yay! ...That's right. You've read 500 pages. 503, to be exact. ...And that's not including bonus chapters. ...Wow I have no life. And it's been almost a year since I started posting it, too...**

**Thank you all for reading this far! I hope you continue to enjoy it!**

**Also, is it just me, or are the battles starting to feel a little repetitive...? Does anyone have a suggestion for how I can fix that? (Sorry.)**

**Oh, and since I'm not a chess expert (I wanna play more...), I might've messed up some on that thing... But it was fun. And it gets the point across about Sau. So please forgive my mistakes. I'll correct it if someone gives me a better number of moves for a quick game. And on the subject of chess, thank you 'Tou-san for helping me decide upon Chester's title!**

**Well, please enjoy this chapter!**

**Disclaimer: Same as always. I own nothing. It's all owned by Namco.**

**--Chess Rookie--**

We're traveling closer towards the castle in some respects, but we're still staying quite a bit away from it. In fact, we're keeping to the cliffs near the ocean—there's a small spit of it to the west. And somehow, I doubt this mountain path is used that much. It's not exactly easy to travel... it's very steep in some places and—ah great. This won't be fun...

There's a cliff that shoots straight up, and there's a narrow edge along it... the only way through is to keep to that narrow edge. I turn to Sauound. "Any ideas for getting past this?"

"Yes. Do not fall." He starts walking forward. Keh, some help he is... "Hope, stay between me and Chris."

"A-all right!"

The prince starts across first, facing the cliff. He holds onto the rocks as he slowly makes his way across. Hope follows next, and then Chris.

"Mint, Ami-chan, hop on!" Arche says; they do so. Oh that's not fair... "We'll meet you guys on the other side!" With that, she grabs Dad's hat and then flies over. Dhaos follows them. Keh...

I start across next. "Yeah, let's keep the clumsy people between two non-clumsy ones. That means you're up next, Dad."

"Hey, I'm not that clumsy..."

"And who fell down a hill in the dark?" _That_ gets him. "Just don't touch me with silver."

"I won't."

I keep climbing to the other side, keeping my grip on the rocks. I just need to take it slow... make sure I'm steady before moving on... and find grips for my hands... There's another grip. And over a little...

There's a noise above us—a cracking noise. A pebble hits me on the head, followed by dust. I stop moving and look up. There are rocks moving...

"Watch out!"

There's a stone falling towards us—dammit, I can't move!

"Judgment!" Wind grabs the stone—I hold tight onto the cliff as the edge of the wind tears at us.

"Hope!" I glance over—Sauound and Chris both managed to grab on to her. They're each holding on to her with one hand and the cliff with the other... The wind dies down, and the three work together to get the woman back up, so she's holding onto the cliff again.

I turn my attention to the reckless witch. "Hey, be more careful next time!"

"Oh shut up! I just saved you guys!"

"And almost killed us in another way!"

"T-thank you, Arche-san..." Hope speaks up. "Don't worry, Chester-san! Everyone's fine!"

"You're the one who almost fell off!" Chris complains.

"But I'm fine now!"

Sauound makes it to the safe part, where the edge widens. He reaches out for Hope—she takes his hand, and he pulls her to safety. They then help their best friend. I slowly keep climbing. I'm almost there...

Okay, right next to the wide part. I move one foot over, keeping my hold on the wall. I move one arm over... and the other foot. I'm there—I push myself off and to safety. Whew... now just have to wait for the others.

Dad gets over—Arche hands him his hat back, and he puts it on. One by one, the others make it over, with Suzu bringing up the—wait a second, she's not even holding onto the wall! She's just walking across... Well, she _is_ a ninja...

She makes it to the wider ledge.

Without a word, the prince starts walking again. I _really_ don't like him... The rest of us keep up. It's pretty rocky, but as long as I watch my step, I'll be fine...

It's even more rocky than before, actually. Now most steps are a climb up and down boulders... so much for a shortcut. It's getting steeper, going downwards. I stop walking and glance away from the path, ahead of us. I can see the desert sand again... Not far, too. Good, we're almost out of this, then.

Suzu stops and glances around.

"What's up?" I ask as I walk over to her.

"The Fafnir is reacting again."

"As is the Nidhogg," Milard speaks up.

"It is getting late." Sauound walks over here as well. "It would be unwise to search in the dark. Especially considering that one of our party will become a wolf soon."

The young girl looks a little nervous about leaving...

"Don't worry, we'll come here first thing in the morning so we can search," I assure her. "Only crazy people would take this path. It's probably worse at night!"

"Are you calling yourself crazy? Fitting, I suppose."

Keh, stupid prince...! "I'm calling you crazy! I didn't know what this path was like before you lead us on it!"

He shrugs, turns, and continues walking towards the desert. "Come. I do not want you changing to a wolf in the middle of town."

"I won't!" The rest of us follow his lead. I may _say_ that, but... there _is_ a very good chance it could happen... I can't exactly control when I change, but... If I feel it coming in town, I'll try harder to stop it. I _can't_ change in the middle of town! That's like asking the guards to come fight me.

Anyway, we reach the town fine. The moons will be up soon... The prince leads the way to the inn. He buys a few rooms for us, and I head straight into the first one. I close the door behind me and lean on it. Well, now I'm safe for the night...

There's a knock on the door. "Chester? Can I come in?" Ah, Cless. I open the door.

"Yeah, sorry. A little paranoid, I suppose."

"Understood..." He walks in, and I shut the door again. He glances around the room; then he walks over to the window and pulls the curtains closed.

"Oh thanks, I didn't even think about that."

Cless smiles. "You'll get used to this, just give it some time."

"Right, time..."

"You're learning how to control it, aren't you? Just keep trying your best."

"Thanks... What's everyone else up to?"

"They're going to start asking around about the Flamberge, I think."

Oh that's right, I wanted to ask Cless about that... "Hey Cless, do you know anything about this sword?"

"...Yes."

"What is it exactly?"

"It's a fire sword, just like they said." He grabs the hilt of the Eternal Sword and unsheathes it. He holds it up and stares at it. "The other half is the Vorpal Sword—the ice sword. In our previous lives, we had to gather the two halves and combine them to make the Eternal Sword."

"Whoa, so that thing Sauound's searching for is half of the Eternal Sword?"

"Yes."

"But how do two swords become one?"

"I... don't quite remember that part." He sheathes the sword again and turns to me. "It never came with those memories of our previous lives."

"Think one of the others might know?"

"Probably. But we shouldn't ask while Sauound, Chris, and Hope are around."

"Agreed. And I had something else I wanted to ask you about."

"What?"

"What have you heard about—"—the Gungnir... Dammit, I'm a wolf. Worst timing _ever_.

My best friend laughs and sits down on one of the beds. "Looks like you'll have to ask me in the morning."

Yeah, yeah... Keh... I hop up on another one of the beds and lay down. I don't really _want_ to go to sleep yet, but there's not really much else I can do... I glance over at Cless. Isn't he going to help the others ask around...?

The swordsman watches me questioningly, probably trying to figure out what I'm trying to ask. "Ah... Ah! Are you wondering why I'm still here?" I nod. "Well, it'd be trouble if someone came in, first of all... And second, you'd be all alone if I left, right?"

Heh... just like him. I nod.

Cless stands and walks over to a cabinet in the room. He opens it and starts searching around. "Hm... Oh wow, they have quite a few games in here... Let's see, what could a wolf play..."

A game? Now that might be good... I jump out of the bed and walk over.

"Ah!" He pulls a game out. "How about chess?"

...Chess? Is he crazy...?

"If you can't move a piece, I'll help!" He lays the board down and sets up the pieces. I sit across from him and stare down at it. He must be crazy... I won't even be able to move a pawn out...

"Looks like I go first..." He says once he's done. He moves the pawn in front of the queen—or is that the king? Oh, that's the king... This is _not_ going to be good... Anyway, he moves that out one.

My turn... I move a paw forward and try to move the pawn in front of my king—wait, should the kings be straight across from each other like that? Eh... I guess I can't really argue like this...

Noticing my difficulties, Cless reaches over and grabs it. "Here?" He holds it one space out—I shake my head. He holds it two spaces out—"Here?" I nod, and he sets it down.

Cless then moves the pawn three from my left out one... Using our strange form of communication that would make anyone think they're hallucinating or going crazy, we get my pawn four from the left out one space. He moves the pawn in front of his queen out two, and with his help, I move my right bishop out one. The swordsman moves his queen to the right edge of the board. Hm... Let's see... Okay, my right knight goes up and to the left. He moves his queen back one space... Now what...

There's a knock on the door. Cless gets up and answers it, while I move so I'm behind it, where the person can't see me. He opens it a little further—the rest of the guys in our party enter. He closes the door behind them.

"Hey. Did you find anything out...?"

"Nope, not one thing..." Chris says before he tiredly lets himself fall onto one of the beds. There are four beds in here and six of us...

The summoner stares at the chess board. "You two were playing chess...?"

"Yeah. It's a good way to pass the time. Shall we continue, Chester?"

"...You know, you could have him in check with one move."

"I know. I've been holding back on that, though. I could've had him in check mate if he didn't move the bishop... I was trying to fix that, but then his knight messed me up..."

"Hm... I see..."

Keh... Those two can play if they know so much... I claim another one of the beds.

E-eh?! What's Sauound staring at?! Geez he has a creepy stare...

"The dog should get the floor."

Pft, like I'm taking that! I growl in response.

"Do not make me use fire."

"Sauound, be nice..." says Chris. "I don't mind taking the floor."

"Two people have to sleep on the floor."

"I can be the other. Klarth-san and I will probably be up a while playing chess anyway."

"Yeah. We can take the floor if you want..." Dad mutters, concentrating on the chess board. I wonder if he even realizes what he said...

Chris wanders over. "I wanna play, too..."

"As do I," Sauound speaks up.

"How about we have a tournament? The two losers get the floor!"

"That sounds like a good idea! I guess Klarth-san and I are going first, then."

"Yep!"

They can have fun with that... I'll safely keep the bed, thanks.

I close my eyes. I guess I should try to get to sleep... Maybe that way I won't be too hard to wake up. After all, we need to go get that Devil's Arm in the morning...

"Check," I hear Dad say.

"Already...? Geez..."

"Check again."

Heh, looks like Cless will be getting the floor at this rate. I glance over at the angel curiously—he's watching the chess game. Being a wolf really sucks... If I was human, I'd definitely be watching and teasing them about things.

"And that's a mate."

"It is...?" He pauses a second... "It is... I'm on the floor, then."

I hear them set up the pieces again...

"Me versus you, Sau! I'm going to do my best!"

"Hm... I give you fifteen moves."

"Only fifteen?! Geez, you're not feeling nice today, are you...?"

"Not particularly."

Fifteen moves? Is he serious...? I glance up—they start pretty fast, each knowing what he's doing. Before long, Chris slows and starts thinking. It's been about six moves each... so nine more. They each move. That's seven moves... Eight, nine... ten...

"I'm not falling for that!" Chris moves one piece in the way, and then the prince moves a piece of his own. They each move again—

"Checkmate."

"No way...!"

"Twelve moves."

How in Martel's name did he... I stare at the chess board. It's really a checkmate... Wow. Note to self: not playing chess against Sauound.

I lay my head back down as they continue talking about it. The two losers make themselves comfortable on the floor.

I wonder what the girls are up to... Probably not playing chess for the beds... Don't girls share beds or something? I'd like to be in there... Hey, they might not mind if I'm a wolf. Heh heh, maybe this wolf thing can be kinda useful after all...

_"What did you use to fight the pains of the past...?"_

Huh...? Where am I...? It's bright...

_"What do you need to combat the mistakes of the present?"_

Too bright... I can barely make anything out... I see a large shape in front of me... And one to the right...

_"What do you need to halt the worries of the future?"_

There's also a large shape to the left... Oh, and there was one behind me...

"Chester? Chester, wake up."

That doesn't sound like a girl...

"Come on, it's morning. We promised Suzu that we'd check out the mountains, remember?"

"And we should head back to the castle as soon as we are finished there."

Keh...

"Chester, you promised first thing in the morning... Do you really want to go back on that?"

"I want sleep..."

"Okay, then you can explain to Suzu that someone ran off with the Devil's Arm before we got there because _you_ overslept."

I sit up. "All right I'm up. Are you happy?"

Dad nods. "We've already eaten." He hands me a plate.

"Thanks..." I need to be quick, right? Suzu's waiting... I start eating quickly, while the others get ready. I hear the girls outside.

Huh... I wonder what that dream was about... It's been a while since I've had one that weird. Wasn't very long, though...

All right, I'm done eating. "We ready to go?"

"Just waiting on you."

"I'm ready." Chris leads the way out of the room, and the rest of us follow. The girls are waiting out in the lobby for us.

"Did Chester-kun oversleep again?" Milard stares at me. Ack... Am I really getting that predictable...?

"Yep."

"Well I'm up now. Let's just get to that mountain..." I lead the way this time. It doesn't take long to get out of the city, if it can even be called that... So we're doing that and then heading back to the castle, huh...? Looks like this whole thing was just a bust. Well, besides getting the Devil's Arms... but we didn't find that flame sword at all.

Arche's rambling about something to Mint... "He was pretty cute, but he didn't spend enough attention on me. And then Rob was nice, but... I _know_ I can do better in the looks department."

She's _really_ annoying. I turn around so I'm walking backwards. "Do you ever shut up?"

"Oh, I'm not even talking to you!" she says, getting all puffed up. Heh heh...

"Well we can all hear you talk about your horrible ex-boyfriends."

"At least my ex wasn't a traitorous werewolf!"

Ack... "S-shut up!" I turn around so I'm facing where I'm walking again. She starts rambling again. Keh...

"Hey, does anyone else get the feeling that we've forgotten something...?" Chris suddenly speaks up, interrupting the half elf.

"Yes... Something important..." the other researcher agrees.

"Really?" I glance back at them. "Everyone has their weapons, right?" I stare down at my kid sister.

"Looks like it..."

"H-hey, why are you staring at me?!"

"Oh, no reason." I stop looking at her to look straight ahead.

"I made sure everything was in the pack before we left..." the meerkat adds.

"...Wait." Suzu speaks up. We all stop and turn to face her.

"What's up?"

"We only have eleven people. We should have twelve."

I count... "Oh you're right. Who are we—" Wait a sec...

"Ack! Sau's been left behind again!" The scientist glances back across the desert, towards the city.

"'Again'?! What do you mean 'again'?! He's your prince! How do you lose him in the first place?!"

"Yeah, but he's so quiet... He's easy to miss... W-we have to go back for him!" With that, we head back to the city. I don't get it... How do they lose their prince?!

We reach the city and hurry into the inn.

"Oh, welcome back—" The inn-keeper looks surprised.

"Did you see Sauound leave here?"

"Hm? The prince left with you guys..."

"We didn't see him on the way back..." I point out.

"He must be somewhere in the city then." Dad fixes his hat as he talks. "He's the prince, so surely someone will know where he is..."

"Right. Let's ask around." I walk out of the inn and into the city. Let's see... I guess we should ask everyone on the path we took out of the city...

I walk over to the first townsperson I see. "Excuse me. Have you seen the prince around here?"

"I saw him walking out of the city with Mr. Lester and a large group..." That would be us...

"...Okay, thanks." So we lost him a little closer to the exit... There's another random person. I ask him the same thing.

"Eh? Prince Sauound? Oh yeah, he was in that large group that passed by... Hey, aren't you guys that group?"

"Uh... yeah. Never mind..." Next person... I repeat the question again to her.

"Ehh? Prince Sauound was here? Or he still might be?! I-I have to find him!" She hurries off. Wha...? Okay, then the next person... an old man. I ask him the question yet again.

"Oh, the prince? Yes, I told him about an old artifact I found in the west, and he hurried off that way... Must've been pretty important..."

"He's gone to more ruins?! Why didn't he say something to us?!" Chris demands, surprised.

"Never mind, let's just hurry and find him!"

"Right! Thank you, mister!"

"Good luck to you..."

With that, we hurry out of the village, heading west. It's hot out... but no one's about to stop. Sauound could be in danger, after all...

We can see the ocean now. Where's Sauound...?! I still don't see him anywhere...

"Look, there's something white in the sand...!" Hope hurries forward, and we follow her to the spot. She brushes the sand away and reads the words on the door out loud: "'Here lies the family of a great hero'..."

"This... this must be it! A great hero, just like in the legend!" The scientist gapes in disbelief. "C-come on, someone help me move this..." Cless and I step forward, and the three of us easily push the slab up, revealing a passageway. Milard pulls a lantern out of the pack, which our guide takes and lights with his magitech gun. He then descends into the cave. One by one, the rest of us also lower ourselves in.

It's pretty dark down here... But at the end of a long tunnel, I can see a light... and blonde hair... Sauound's there!

"Sau!" Chris runs forward.

"Wait!" the ninja calls out; the scientist stops—arrows shoot out from the wall right in front of him. "There are traps around. We must tread carefully."

"R-right..."

"I will lead the way." She steps forward, her brown eyes glancing around the hallway. Two walls start to close in—she jumps back. As soon as they start retreating, she runs forward—we also run forward to keep up with her. Some spikes come out of the ground—she jumps up and lands safely on the other side. We wait for the spikes to lower—now we can go.

We make it to the other side, where we find Sauound standing next to a pedestal... Sitting on top of the pedestal is a sheathed sword...

"This is..." Chris starts.

"...the Flamberge," his best friend finishes without looking back. He holds up his spear and stares at it.

"Oh yeah, I guess you won't need your spear anymore..."

"...Correct. But..." He sighs. "This... is a special spear. I will keep the Gungnir... I am sure I can find some way to put it to use."

"Heh heh, that spear's saved us on multiple occasions, huh? We'll have to find a place to store it where no one else can get to it!"

"...Yes." He puts the spear so that it's attached to the halter thing on his back again, for easy access. I guess he'll leave it at the castle now that he has the sword, though.

Sauound steps forward and reaches out. He grabs the sword in both hands. Grabbing the hilt with his right hand, he pulls the sword out of the sheath. Wow... It's a translucent blade, shining around its curved edges. At the tip, it curves up and to the right a little... The color makes it look like fire, with red, orange, and yellow... The red hilt is pretty ornate, too; it even has a hand guard on it.

A growl sounds not far from us—we turn. A white and green dog steps out... wait a sec. "Noishe?!"

"That sword belonged to Lloyd... I can't let just anyone walk off with it." I can hear Noishe talk now... "Prepare yourself!" He sounds a little nervous... almost scared... Ack, he's charging at us! We quickly get our weapons out and prepare for battle.

"Thunder Blitz!" I have to admit, I never thought that I'd be fighting Noishe in the past... But it seems like so long ago now since he was helping us. So much has happened... I notch another arrow and shoot as Noishe attacks the prince.

Sauound skillfully swings the fire blade at the dog. He's good with a sword, too?! Geez... I shoot again.

"I won't hold back! Demonic Sword Rain!"

"Hell Rush!"

"Prepare yourself! Wyrm Rush!"

"Duel Punishment!"

Looks like we have a combo attack going on—I quickly take aim—"Gale Shot!" Haha, now _that_ was a nice combo!

"Serpent Seal!"

"Sharpness!" The healers are already at work supporting the party. I shoot again.

Noishe gets up on his hind legs for an attack—he throws Sauound back.

"Sauound!" Hope yelps.

"I am fine! Stay back!" The prince holds the Flamberge up and charges again—he slashes at Noishe, making the dog yelp. He throws Noishe back a little—I take that opening and shoot again.

"Earthquake!"

"I summon thee, spirit of the great earth... Come, Gnome!" The ground shakes, and the fighters back up a little as the spells run their course. I just have to compensate for the ground shaking—there—I release another arrow—it hits.

"Heal!"

"Dhaos, use Shadow Rush!"

"...All right. I'm ready whenever."

Cless holds his sword up, concentrating. "Let's go!" Cless teleports forward as the angel rushes at our enemy. "Lunging Shadow!" Noishe yelps again and then charges at them. Sauound steps back and starts charging up, while I shoot yet again.

"This is the end... Explode!" Sauound calls out, and a spark of light falls down from the sky—it reaches Noishe and then explodes into fire. The dog yelps and falls back—he stays down.

"It seems you're strong enough to take the sword..." He gets up again, and everyone gets ready to fight more.

"Yeah." I step forward. "And don't worry. I mean, Sauound's not exactly the nicest person or anything, but he wants to use it to protect his country... He'll take care of the sword for you."

"...You can understand me?"

"Yes."

"...No wonder you smell different... Then, I leave the sword to him. It's time I go and find Lloyd's family again..."

"They're really important to you, aren't they?"

"They're the reason I've lived as long as I have."

I pat his head. "Then you'll find them. Good luck."

"Good luck to you as well. And be careful... it's dangerous out there."

"Yeah, thanks. See ya again sometime!" I turn to the others. "Let's go."

"What did he say...?"

"I'll explain after we get out of here. Suzu, wanna lead us out of these traps?" The ninja nods and does so; we safely make it out.

"So what was Noishe doing down there, Chester?" Cless asks once we're under the hot sun again.

"He was protecting the sword... for Lloyd. He's accepted Sauound as it's owner now, and he's going to go find Lloyd's family again."

"Then thank you for wishing him good luck for us, Chester-san," the dove says with a smile on her face.

"No problem. Now then, let's get back to what we were about to—"

Someone coughs, hard—we turn to face the person—Sauound?! He falls to his knees, breathing hard.

"Sau...!" We hurry over to the prince.

"What's going on?!" I demand.

"It's getting worse... We have to get him back to the castle."

"I am fine..." He pushes himself to his feet. Idiot...

"No you're not! Stop pushing yourself!"

"I have the Flamberge... I cannot quit now."

"Sau...!"

"...I can understand that..."

"Chester!"

"...But you need to rest first, or you'll do no one any good. Just let us handle things until we get back to the castle—after you've rested, you can join in again, all right?"

"...Fair enough." His friends breathe easily.

"Suzu, looks like the Devil's Arm will have to wait a little longer..."

"That's fine."

"Right then, let's get back to the castle!" I turn and we start walking back across the desert.

**Chester gained the title of Chess Rookie. Is that the king or the queen? They look too much alike on this board...**

**Cless gained the title of Animal Communicator. It may be hard, but he can learn to under an animal given the right cues.**

**Suzu gained the title of Trap Finder. It is a title given to one who can easily find and dodge traps.**

**Cless learned Demonic Sword Rain.**

**Dhaos learned Wyrm Rush.**

**Sauound found the Flamberge.**

**Sauound left the party.**


	62. Find the Fairytale

**Okay, first of all, BIG ANNOUNCEMENT THINGY! I know mine thus far have been boring, but there's been an error with this site pointed out to me by Miyu. Thank you, Miyu!**

**Anyway, it seems that some people (who have registered to be alerted and have gotten emails before) are getting emails about new chapters while others aren't all of the sudden. SO. If anyone would like an email alert when I post a new chapter or whatever, please let me know, and I will personally send you an email when I update. Oh yeah, and don't forget to provide your email address (in review or PM, whichever you prefer)... and just be careful of the formatting being cut off.**

**That's it with the important announcements. Now for just a random one that you can skip if you want. Though I think it's important... And that is...**

**...I love you guys. Seriously, this is the best fandom out there. I've been reading about others recently. And, for the most part, we don't **_**have**_** most of those problems. You guys are all awesome. Thank you!**

**Oh, and thank you to all of those that helped me with Urd's speech! She was hard... and thus the reason for my slow update. And thank you Starry-chan for the suggestion of Suzu's location! (My other reason for the slow update).**

**Okay. Now I'm done. Really. (Nightshade X-san, I know you were actually suggesting somewhere else in the desert, but... you mentioned that. And irony takes the cake.). Enjoy the chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Tales of games. They are owned by Namco.**

**--Find the Fairytale--**

It's really hot... Maybe we can leave the desert soon, since we've found the Flamberge and all... Now we just need to get that Devil's Arm, right? But first comes helping Sauound...

We get to the castle, and his friends lead him straight to his room. Naturally, Mint and Cless have to follow, so the rest of us tag along as well. Some of the group—Dhaos and Suzu, namely—leave before we reach his room. He looks pretty annoyed at all the attention... I'll let them deal with him. I step out of the room, closing the door behind me. I wonder what happened to make him suddenly grow weak like that... _"With his life at stake, can you really blame him...?"_ Why is his life at stake...? I don't understand... _"You might find out what's going on with him during your travels."_ And that makes even _less_ sense...

I hear the door open and then close behind me; I turn around. That's... "Chris...?"

"Hey. A lot of people are in there, huh...? Sau doesn't like being gloated over so much, so I figured it'd be better to let him have some space..."

"What's going on with him?"

"I promised I wouldn't say, remember?" He stares up at the ceiling, thinking. "You knew Sau when he was about eight, right? I guess he's changed a lot from what you remember."

"Yeah... He struck me as a kind kid, who worried about others."

"He was. He was also pretty mischievous, believe it or not. He and I used to sneak out to play all the time. He was also very curious about the world... he'd study everything he saw. I guess that part of him hasn't really changed, though."

"So what happened? How'd he change so much?"

Chris stares at me. "...Maybe he was too curious and took in too much. He lost that childish innocence long before me, once he learned the true workings of the world... He still tried to hold on to the belief that the world was good for a while, though, even if the war and the knowledge he learned often proved him wrong. And then..." He sighs and turns his attention away from me again. "...the city of Orange was destroyed."

"Orange...?"

"It was a city north of Ostrich, just outside of the desert. The king of Fenrir at the time lead an assault against it. A few survived the calamity, but they lost everything... One of those few was the mayor's daughter, Hope."

Hope...?!

"She came to live at the castle after that. The better Sau and I got to know her, the more we both came to hate Fenrir for what they did to her city... Plus there had been a few assassination attempts on the lives of Sau and his family. Eventually, he stopped trusting new people. He's still kind deep down, and he still loves his country and the people of it... but he won't help a stranger until he is sure that he can trust them. After that, though, he'll do practically anything for the person. He's a strange guy, huh...?" Chris grins.

"I'd say..." I had some of those same trust issues... Even now, it's hard to tell who I can trust... "But... it's not good to keep everyone at a distance because you're unsure if you can trust them, right...? I mean, it's hard to tell who to trust, but if you just push everyone away, you'll _never_ know..."

"Yeah, I agree. He could use more friends... I hope he understands that soon..."

"...How long does he have?"

"Huh?" The scientist stares at me, surprised.

"He's dying, isn't he? How long does he have?"

"Last I checked, about two years, but..."

Two years... that's not long...

"And what's worse... His father's completely given up on him living long enough to become king."

"What...?!"

"He's making plans already for who will succeed him... And he wants Sauound to join the battle so that we can win..."

"What's _wrong_ with the kings of this time?! That's his own son...!"

"What would you do if you knew your son was dying, and there was no way to stop it?"

"Ah..."

"It's painful for all of us... we just deal with it in different ways. Hope and I try our best to support him... His Majesty is too scared, I think... so he tries to make Sau seem more like an object than a person. It's not right, but we can't really change that."

"...I guess we all do things in different ways, huh...? If I were in that situation, I'd try to find a way to save him, even if everyone else tells me that there is no way..."

Chris blinks. "A way to... Hope's said that we should try to look for a way before, but..."

"Then don't give up. He's your friend, isn't he? And wasn't the king saying that the Flamberge was just a fairytale? Look at how that one turned out!"

"...Yeah." He starts walking down the hall. He stops and turns back to me. "I'm going to go let the king know about that, and then do some more research... Make sure to say bye to me before you guys leave!"

"Will do. See ya." He walks off.

The door opens again and my friends and Hope walk out.

"Chester-san..."

"Hey. How is he?"

"He'll be fine. He was complaining about how it was too stuffy..."

"Well, I guess it's time we leave here," Dad speaks up.

"Yeah..."

"Where's Chris?"

"He's going to talk to the king, and then he'll go down to his lab."

"Thank you." Hope bows to us. "Good luck on your journey!"

"Thanks."

She hurries off, the same way that Chris went.

"Where are Dhaos and Suzu?" my best friend questions.

"Dunno... Let's find them and let them know we're leaving. Oh yeah, and Chris wanted us to say bye to him before we left."

"We'll do that after we find them, then."

"Right." We walk in the same direction that Chris and Hope went, towards the entrance of the castle. I wonder where they could be...

We turn to the left down the next hall. After that, we start opening doors to see if the two are in any. Let's see... storage, storage, books—whoa. Lots of books... This must be the library? I step in. It really _is_ huge...! I can't see all of it because of the bookcases, but it's _definitely_ bigger than any library I've ever seen... and it looks to be two stories tall. There are a few tables with seats around, and some of the researchers from the magitech lab are here studying from the looks of it. We walk in a little further; to the right, behind some bookshelves, I can see a lounge area. No one's sitting there right now. I scan the room from the back, coming towards the front. Books and researchers... Ah! There's Dhaos. He's down a floor and to the right, examining the front-most bookcase. We walk down the closest set of stairs and over to him.

He notices us as we get closer and turns to us. "...Are we ready to leave, then?"

"After we find Suzu. And Chris wants us to stop by and let him know."

He nods. "I found a few spell books."

"All right. Let's put them in the pack... We'll study them later." Milard pulls out the pack and opens it up for Dhaos to put the books in. Two books... The woman swings the pack back over her shoulder.

"Any idea where Suzu is?" I ask the angel.

"She took the first left after entering."

"Okay, let's go find her!" We leave the library and head back to the entrance. Getting here was taking a right and then going up a few portals... We head back to the portals and warp down to ground level. We walk through the hall... If we keep going straight, we'll pass by the entrance. Speaking of, there's the entrance hall... Now where's Suzu? We continue walking, checking the doors as we do so. Not here... or here... or here...

Is that... music...? It sounds pretty upbeat... I enter the room it's coming from. There are musicians in here... practicing, it seems. Ah... and Suzu's in here as well. She's sitting on one of the taller instrument cases, listening. I walk over to her, and she stares up at me.

"Hey. What are you doing here...?" Ah... I wonder... "Do you like music?"

"No. Ninjas do not favor anything."

"Wha...?! Everyone favors something!"

"...I am a ninja."

"...You like music, don't you?"

"No."

"Uh-huh..." Then why else would she be listening to it? "Come on, we're going to leave as soon as we let Chris know." She nods in response and hops off of the case. I lead the way out, where the others are waiting. "All right... Chris should be a level down, right?"

"If he's in the magitech labs, then yes."

"He probably is by now. Let's go." We head back to the portals and down a level. Ah... that beeping sound... Sardon's calling? Dad pulls out the book and answers it.

"Hiya! How are you doing today?" Sardon asks, grinning as usual.

"Fine. Did you find anything out?"

"Yep! Christopher K. Lester and Hope Lester are ancestors of ours!"

"So they're going to get married..."

"Yep! And I can't really find out much about that time... I've found some information on the three kingdoms and a war, known as the War of Ancient Civilizations nowadays... I'm having troubles finding exact dates, so I'll get back to you on that, but... a lot of people died from something at the end of that war. And not just fighters... even innocent people."

"Right... find out years on that for us or something; we don't want to be caught up in that..." I say.

"Okey-dokie! Just be careful, and I'll let you know when I have more!"

"Thanks. Talk to you later, then," Dad takes over.

"Bye-bye!" With that, the connection's closed, and Dad closes the book.

"We should probably hurry up with this time period," Milard speaks up.

"Yeah..."

We continue walking again; Dad takes the lead through the labs, since he got the tour earlier... Ah, there's Sauound... He's ahead, of us, walking towards the far end... We hurry to catch up with him. He glances at us to show that he sees us, but says nothing. He walks to a certain door and grabs the handle.

From the other side, I can hear a voice... Hope's voice... "Chris, don't push yourself too hard... You're important to me..." Sauound pauses. "More important than anyone else in this world..." Eh...? What exactly did we walk in on...? Or, almost walk in on...

The prince lets go of the handle and turns away from the door, his steps ridged as he walks passed us.

"Sauound...!" Cless follows him, followed by Mint. "Sauound, wait—" Sauound stop and spins around, holding the Flamberge up and so it's pointed at Cless.

"W-what are you doing...?!" I demand.

"...Do not follow me..."

"Sauound-san...!" The cleric steps forward. "You... love Hope, don't you...?"

"S-shut up...! You do not know anything...!" He turns and runs down the hall.

"Sauound!"

"Sauound-san!" And, naturally, we have to follow.

Geez... this guy's on the wrong end of a love triangle... Wait, didn't Dad say that I was in one of those once? Except I was in the middle... So I guess Arche would've been...

...Right, let's just find this guy quickly.

We get back to the portals... I think I saw him take the right one—we head into that. It warps—wow it's hot. Hey wait, this is that room I went to on our first day here... with the hot doors... The metal doors are wide open now, and there's heat coming from the other side of them. We walk in—geez it's hot in there...! I glance around. There's... lava...?! The halls here are a deep crimson... Ah great, and it's a pretty open area, so there's a few paths... "Which way?" We glance around.

There's a flash of light—to the left—"That way!" We run that way. It turns and goes left again, and then straight... Wait, a dead end...?! We glance around here again.

"Look!" Milard calls—she's pointing to the ground—there's... runes?! "These are warp runes..."

"Do you think Sauound went that way...?"

"He might've..."

I glance at the portal. It could be dangerous, but...

"We have to face the unknown to get anywhere, right...?" Cless speaks up. "Let's go." He steps onto the runes—light raises up around him and teleports away.

"Cless!" I run in after him, and the others are all running with me.

The area on the other side of the portal has the same decorations... except it's a longer room with some stairs on the other side. Up the stairs stands a woman... She looks to be in her mid-twenties, with short, straight black hair and red eyes. She has a stoic expression on her pale face... she might be pretty if she smiles. She's wearing full armor and she carries a sword and shield... "My sisters and I were sent by Heimdall."

"Who are you...?"

"Urd, a valkyrie. Skuld, Verdandi, and I were sent to help you..."

"To help us?"

"You could not beat the other gods before because you lacked power equal to them."

"So you're going to give us power, then?" I question.

"Only after you have passed."

"Passed? You mean..."

"Have you prepared for battle?"

Everyone gets their weapons out and get in fighting stances. "...Yeah, we're ready."

Urd quickly charges at Cless—swords clash as the rest of us hurry to attack her as well.

The kids rush forward with a duo attack and the valkyrie jumps back—I shoot at her. Keh, she flipped out of the way. I quickly shoot another arrow at her.

"Power Seal!"

"Acid Rain!"

"Glimmer Shot!" Keh, she's too fast...

"Mirror Image!"

"Pow Hammer!" That stalls her—I shoot again as the fighters charge forward. All right, now we're getting some hits in!

She regains her composure. "Begone!" She swipes her sword across sideways, sending a wave of energy—ahh...!

"Oh that's it...! Ami! Strike the ground!"

"I'll do my best, Onii-chan!"

We both hurry forward—I jump up into the air and aim an arrow at the ground below Urd. Here we go... "Sonic Blast!" The ground explodes around the two fighters; rocks fly into the air and hit Urd, throwing her back and onto the ground. She jumps up and quickly charges at my sister—Cless and Suzu step forward to defend her. I shoot another arrow. Keh... she dodged again.

"Serpent Seal!"

"This is it... Air Thrust!" Dhaos' spell hits her, stalling her.

"Judgment!" A cyclone comes down on top of Urd. There's no way I can get an arrow through that... Even the close-combat fighters can't attack with those spells going off.

"Suzu! Summon Jiraiya!"

"All right!" She jumps up into the air and, with a poof of smoke, a giant red frog appears under her.

"Efreet!" Flames burst next to the ninja and Efreet appears—"Fiery Summon!" The two summons throw fire at the wind spells—fire and wind mix together in a deadly storm.

Before long, the spells clear out—Urd's still standing?! Geez... I quickly notch an arrow again—"Giga Fang!" She takes the hit and charges forward, not stalling—whoa hold on—

"Chester!"

"Chester-san!"

Dammit...!

"Lunge!" Cless appears in front of me and slashes at Urd—he hits and she falls back. The sword then warps him back to his original position.

"Thanks Cless!" I take another arrow out. "Dragon Slayer!"

"Nurse!"

"Pyre Seal!"

Urd is thrown back again—the swordsman charges forward—"Rising Phoenix!" He hits her, and she falls to the ground. She's staying on the ground it seems...

"Ugh... Fine, you have won..." She says as she slowly sits up. She then stands and sheathes her sword. We also put up our weapons, but... I don't know about the others, but I'm not about to put my guard down. "I was ordered to give you this for defeating me." She concentrates, holding her hand out. A tablet forms in her hand—what the...?! How did she...?! "Holy Song. It was once used by angels to support their allies."

"Support..." We all turn to Mint.

"Ah... Right." She steps forward and accepts the tablet. "Thank you. I'll be sure to study it well."

The valkyrie nods. "We also managed to capture a daemon. I brought this in case you wished to try your luck with it..." She holds up a silver ring with a green jewel—an emerald, I'll bet.

"A pact ring...!" Dad hurries forward and takes it. "I'll try. Where is the daemon?"

"Through this passage." She moves out of the way and allows us entry. We walk through, Dad leading the way. "Swordsman," I hear Urd say; I glance back to see what she wants to talk to Cless about. "You used your sword well in that battle... You would have been better with a technique I have known. If you were to request..."

"Ah... so you'll teach me, then?"

"Yes."

Heh, I'll leave them to it, then. Is it just me, or does Urd talk strangely...?

We reach the room. Geez it's hot... the area's only lit up by the lava around. And in the center of the room is... "...An oversized chameleon? _This_ is their daemon?" He's larger than all of us, but... he's definitely just a large chameleon.

"I am Chameleon. What do you want?"

Okay, an oversized, _talking_ chameleon. And his name can't _seriously_ be Chameleon. Am I the only one here who thinks that's redundant? And crazy?

"I want to make a pact with you."

"A pact... If that'll get me away from these valkyries, then I don't see why not."

"Agreed. Then..." Dad holds the ring out in an open hand. "I ask that thou make a pact with me. My name is Klarth F. Lester..." Light flashes through the room, and Chameleon disappears into the Emerald Ring. The summoner puts the ring on. "Well then, shall we go? Where's Cless?"

"He stayed behind to learn a skill... and yeah."

"We still need to find out where Sauound-san is..." Mint speaks up.

"Right." We head back through the hall. Looks like Cless and Urd are done with their sword training...

"Thank you, Urd."

"Hey Cless, you ready?" I ask.

"Yeah. Let's go!"

"...Adventurers, one question... What have you used to fight the pains of the past?"

Huh...? Wait, that sounds familiar...

"Our happy memories..." answers the cleric. "Whenever I'm sad, I just have to remember all of the happy times..."

"Yeah. And because of that, we can keep moving on when things get hard!" the steed agrees.

Urd nods. "Very good. Werewolf, if you have thought of your past enough, then you have already grasped the trick to transformation." The trick...? What's she talking about...? "You have not seen my sisters..."

"Is there anywhere we should go next, then?"

"Yggdrasil."

"Right. Thank you, Urd."

She nods again. "The prince has already returned to the castle. You have done all you need in this country."

Right... We leave here, going back the way we came. We exit the metal doors and walk back onto the portal leading up. But trick... what's she talking about...?

Well, I know about the mana stuff... It's different... If I can control that mana, then I can control my transformation...

...Right...?

I can still feel it... Maybe I should try controlling it like I control my skills...?

"So now what?"

"Let's check on Sauound-san before we leave," suggests Mint.

"Oh right, and we still need to tell Chris..." The others nod and we walk back to the lab Chris was in. Now he's busy working on something while Hope's standing back and watching.

"Hey Chris," I greet for our group.

"Hey! Are you guys leaving...?"

"Yep."

"Well, it's been fun!"

"Thank you for all of your help," Hope adds.

"No problem."

"Good luck on the rest of your adventures." The scientist offers a hand to shake. I shake it.

"Thanks. Good luck around here as well."

"Stop by if you ever need anything!"

"We will. See ya!" With that, we leave the room and head back to the portals. Maybe Sauound's in his room...? We head up to the top floor, where his room is. We walk over to the room and knock. ...No answer... I open the door and look in; it's completely dark in here... He's definitely not here. I close it again. "Okay, so then where is he...?"

"He likes to read, doesn't he? Why don't we try the library?" We take my father's suggestion and head there next. Let's see... the second floor of the library should lead up to somewhere between the prince's room and the portal... I try a door—ahh, this is it. We walk in and glance around. He shouldn't be that hard to—ah ha, found him. He's staring at some books, probably trying to decide which one to read. We walk over.

"Sauound...!" Cless calls out as we approach him. "Are you all right...?"

The prince turns to us. "...Yes. I apologize for earlier."

"It's fine. I guess you were a little upset, huh?"

Sauound pauses. He then closes his eyes, concentrating; a magic circle appears below him. What's he doing...? "Nurse." The nurse fairies Mint usually summons appear around us and heal us. Whoa...

"Ah... Thanks."

"Thank you, Sauound-san."

"...I owe you for your help with the Flamberge. If you need anything, I will help you as long as it is reasonable."

"Thank you. Well, we're headed off now."

The prince nods. "I wish you well on your journey."

"Good luck with things around here."

"Luck...? I do not believe in luck... We work hard for what we achieve. Create your own path."

"...Yeah, I think you're right. We've worked hard to get to where we are, after all," Cless agrees. "Well then, work hard."

Sauound nods again and then turns back to his books. "...About that Devil's Arm... There is a cave that goes below that area. The entrance is just north of the mountain pass leading away from the castle."

"Ah... Thank you."

After saying our last good-byes, we head back out into the hall. We take the portals down to the main floor. Now time to finally get that Devil's Arm... We quickly leave the castle and head along the path through the mountains. Just north of here...

"This cave... it must be the Cave of Burning Sand," Dad suddenly speaks up.

"Cave of... Oh right, where we got Efreet?"

"Ah... I remember that cave. I lost my broom in the lava..."

"Yeah, because you were trying to be a show-off and ended up being a klutz!"

"Oh shut up!"

"That must be the entrance..." We turn to see what Milard's talking about—a little bit ahead of us is an opening in the mountains.

"All right, let's go!" Arche zooms forward on her broom.

"Hey, no fair getting a head start!" my sister chases after her.

Heh, kids... "Don't fall!" I call out. "I mean, I know you two'd make a perfect clumsy duo..."

"Onii-chan!"

"Chester!"

I laugh; they're both _so_ much fun to tease!

Well, we get to the cave and enter it... it's pretty dark in here. Milard brings out the lamp and Arche uses a fire ball to light it.

"Looks like there's no lava here yet..."

"But there's a volcano forming under the castle, from what I could tell," Dhaos points out. "We shouldn't stay in this country long."

"I hate to agree with you, but... Let's just hurry up and find that Devil's Arm." We walk further into the cave. It's not as big as I remember... I guess the lava will change that in the future. Anyway, we walk through a tunnel and emerge into a larger room. Against the far wall, there's a black treasure chest. "Is that it...?"

"It must be," the ninja speaks up. "I will deal with the lock." She walks over to the chest and starts fiddling with it. The rest of us wait patiently. She gets it open—we stare over her shoulder as she pulls out the weapon. It's a dark broom with bat wings...

"Talk about irony..." I mutter.

"A broom here..."

"The Muspelheim." Suzu turns to us as Milard takes the broom. "After the Devil's Arms were recreated... ninjas realized the danger of them and stole them. However, due to guards chasing them and the property of the weapons, all except the Fafnir were lost." There's a pause as everyone waits. Suzu turns to the entrance and starts walking. "We should move on."

"...You'd think it wouldn't be too much to ask for her to just tell the whole story..." I mutter.

"We'll hear more when we find the next one. If nothing else, it's incentive to keep searching..." the angel points out.

"Keh..."

We walk out of the cave, and I open the wing pack. The Rheairds jump out of it, and most of us climb on. I'm behind Ami this time... I glance at the others. "Hey, on our way to Yggdrasil, can we stop by Heimdall? Maybe we can ask that Kalinthra girl some things..."

My father sighs. "She may not be able to tell us anything. After all, the Kalinthra you've seen is from the future."

"Yeah, but it doesn't hurt to try..."

"You have a point..."

"Then to Heimdall!"

We lift up, and sand flies around below us. We quickly climb high into the air, flying away from the desert. This breeze feels nice... nice and cool... And I can already smell the ocean... We're finally out of the desert.

**Chester gained the title of Find the Fairytale. It is a title given to one who doesn't stop because people claim something is impossible, but who keeps working to make the impossible possible.**

**Suzu gained the title of No Favorite. A ninja should not favor anything.**

**Cless gained the title of Path Creator. We cannot wait for luck... We must create our own future, with our hard work.**

**Nightshade X-san gained the title of Ironic Weapon Placer. It seems a little **_**too**_** convenient that my weapon's here... And what's worse, I hate this heat...!**

**Dhaos learned Air Thrust.**

**Milard learned Recover.**

**Mint learned Holy Song.**

**Klarth can now summon Chameleon.**

**Cless learned Phoenix Spear.**

**Chester learned Werewolf.**

**Chester learned New Moon.**

**Chris left the party.**

**Obtained the Muspelheim.**


	63. Bonus Chapter: Eternal Celebrator

**And now, ladies and gentlemen, it's time for another bonus chapter! And this one is from Cless' point of view! Now I'm just missing Milard, Mint, and Dhaos, right...? And thank you, Starry-chan, for the fireworks suggestion!**

**What it's for: celebrating a year of writing this story. I may be a little early in posting it, but there's a **_**reason**_** for that.**

**...Besides the fact that I was hoping to have the story done by today. Haha, that so didn't happen. But we're on the five section countdown, now that the country of Odin is done...**

**Anyway, today I'm officially nineteen! So I'm glad I was able to finish some chapter today, even if it was just a bonus chapter. Heh heh, I'm two years older than Chester, Arche, and Cless now... Not sure if that's a good thing or not, but...**

**Cless' title is meant to be about both this chapter and about the Tales of Phantasia game and its anniversaries... and stuff. Yeah. So I failed a little at making it... ah well.**

**I hope you all enjoy the chapter! Sorry for it being so short...**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Tales of games. They're owned by Namco.**

**--Eternal Celebrator--**

I glance out the window. It's a clear night, but... too late to really do anything. How long has it been since we started this journey...? How is everyone doing back at home...? Mom, Dad, my friends from Miguel and school...

The door opens. "Hey Cless, you going to bed already?" I turn to the person—Chester.

"No... Ah, maybe I should do some training!"

"Hm, that does sound like a good idea... but then you'd miss the party."

"Party?"

"Yeah... Apparently there's some festival going on here."

"A festival...?"

"A year anniversary of something. Didn't here what. So are you coming?"

"Uh..."

"I'm sure Mint would like it if you came," he says with a grin on his face.

"Why does it matter to her if I come...?"

Chester sighs. "Idiot... Just come on."

Well, I don't see why not. I stand and walk over to him. "Chester... is it all right for you to go? It's night..."

"Don't worry, I have it handled!" He leads the way out and I follow.

"Chester, you know you don't have complete control yet... What if you transform in the middle of the crowd?"

"I won't. Just trust me, okay?"

I sigh. When he puts it that way... "...All right." He leads the way outside of the castle, into the city. There are already lots of people here, celebrating... There's music playing, people dancing, eating, talking... Chester leads the way over to our group, who's sitting with Tim, Macaron, and Curtis-san near one of the fires. I take a seat next to Mint.

"Welcome, Cless-san."

"Thank you."

"Yeah, welcome to the party!" the prince speaks up. "Let me know if you want anything to eat or drink. It's free for my guests!"

"Thank you."

"Would you like me to get anything for you, Master?" Macaron offers for Tim.

"Hm... I am kinda thirsty..." mutters Tim.

"You can't have any alcohol; you're too young."

"I'm not talking about alcohol!"

"What's the drinking age here?" Chester _would_ be interested in that...

"Seventeen."

"Nice!"

"You can't have any, Chester," Klarth-san speaks up.

"Aw..."

"Cless Cless!" Arche bounds over to me, excited. "Come dance!"

"...Eh?"

"Come dance with me! You'll dance, to, won't you, Mint?"

"Ah..." Mint sounds a little nervous... not that I can blame her. I glance past Arche. The dancing is pretty... wild...

"Stop trying to coax everyone into dancing. It's annoying," the archer speaks up.

"You're just jealous 'cause I haven't asked you yet!"

"I'm _glad_ you haven't asked me! I'm simply sticking up for Cless and Mint!"

"Jerk!"

"Obnoxious!"

And they're at it again... I glance around at our group. ...Eh? Where's Dhaos-san...? I ask the others if they know.

"He went off towards the port earlier..." answers the cleric.

"Is he okay?"

"I don't know..."

"I'll go check on him." I stand up.

"May I come with you?"

"Of course." I offer Mint a hand, which she takes, and I help her up. We walk to the port, away from the crowd. Dhaos is there, leaning against a wall and staring at the water hitting the invisible barrier.

"Hey," I call out. "Aren't you going to join the party?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"I don't like the crowd."

"Isn't it boring to be all by yourself, though...?" Mint questions.

"I'm fine with it."

He's fine with it...? With being alone...?

"Cless-san!" That sounds like... Ami? I turn to where the voice came from to see her hurrying over. "Ah! Mint-san, Dhaos-san!"

"Hello, Ami."

"Hello."

"What are you doing out here?" I ask her.

"They're doing boat rides! Apparently, there's going to be a special show later! Come on, we should all ride!"

"Should we get the others...?"

"We'll miss it if we do! Besides, we have the perfect number for getting on a boat!" She grabs my hand and drags me towards it. "Come on!"

"Shall we, Dhaos-san?" I hear Mint say; I glance back to see the two start walking behind us. Ami leads us over to where a few workers are loading people onto small, four-person boats... The boats are long in shape, like a thin oval. We climb in, staying in the order we walked there in. The boat starts floating away from the harbor on its own, further out into the ocean.

The boat rocks out on the water as the black waves push it. It's so dark out... I glance up at the sky. Neither of the moons are full yet, but they're getting close... Is Chester sure he has this under control? Maybe I should've stayed to watch him...

"Look!" Speaking of, his sister is pointing up into the sky now. "A shooting star!"

"Where...?" I can't find it... "I guess I missed it..."

"Heh heh... The sky's really pretty out here!"

"Yes, it is..." I glance over at Mint. She's watching the sky, her face full of wonder... Come to think of it, I've never really spent time just relaxing like this with anyone. It's strange, but... I guess it's kind of nice. And Mint's happy...

She turns to look at me. "Ah, look at the water! There are some fish swimming with us." Or... past me. I turn around and stare at the water. She's right...

"Wow!" Ami jumps to the edge of the boat, making it rock a little more. "There are so many! I wish I could see them better..."

"Don't fall in, Ami..." She's never learned how to swim, after all...

"I won't! Thank you for your concern, Cless-san!" She reaches her hand into the water.

There's a loud noise—I jump and glance around, looking for the noise. "Ah...!" Ami falls in.

"Ami!" I stand.

"Ami-chan!" The boat violently rocks back and forth—I can't keep my balance—whoa...! Cold water splashes over me. I'm underwater... and sinking... This isn't good... I try swimming up—my armor's too heavy...! I glance around—there's Ami... and Mint... and Dhaos... everyone fell...! Mint grabs Ami and swims up, and the last of our companions swims up as well... Am I the only one who can't reach the top...? This isn't good...

A flash of light... The Eternal Sword...?

There's no water around me anymore—I'm lying on concrete. I sit up—those waves hitting something invisible... Well, I'm in Thor at least... I stand up and walk down the port, towards the boats... I need to find some way to reach Mint and the others...

Ah... there's Mint. She's staring out towards the ocean, a worried look on her face. As I approach, she turns to look at me. "C-Cless-san..." she runs over and—ehh?! She's... hugging me... "Cless-san, I'm glad your safe... Are you okay? Do you need me to heal you?"

"No... What happened?"

"We never saw you resurface... and the boat wouldn't stop moving..." She sounds upset... and she's trembling a little... "But you're all right..."

"Yeah... the Eternal Sword warped me out of there..." I put my hands on her shoulder. "Don't worry, Mint..."

"Ah..." She pulls away and stares up at me, her face red. "I-I'm sorry... I was just so relieved to see you..."

"It's fine. I don't mind at all." In fact, I think... I liked it...

I sit down on the port. "Sorry our boat ride ended in catastrophe... Still, it's a nice night."

She sits down next to me. "Yes, it is..."

There's another loud noise—"Ah... Cless-san, look...!" I glance over to see her pointing towards somewhere high in the sky; I turn my attention that way to see... lights falling...?

A loud noise, like a bang, sounds again—ah...! There are lights exploding...! In all different colors...! "It's... beautiful..."

"Fireworks..." Mint speaks up. "I've seen them a few times when we've had some parties in Alvanista, but we rarely use them..."

"I've never seen them before..." I watch the sky as more lights explode over the ocean. Different shapes, colors... there's one that sparkles more than the others... Wow, this is amazing...!

Ah... a heart-shaped one... Wait a second, when did I... start holding Mint's hand...?! And she's holding my hand back... What should I...?!

"This is a wonderful show..." she speaks up, still staring at the sky. "I'm glad we got to see it."

"...Yeah. I am, too." I guess it's fine for now... she doesn't seem to mind, so... Besides, I don't know about her... but I'm happy.

**Cless received the title of Eternal Celebrator. It is a title given to one who celebrates anniversaries for eternity.**


	64. Wolfish Listener

**Sorry for taking so long again! And thank you Starry-chan, Xantos, and Miyu for helping me with deciding something for this chapter!**

**Speaking about deciding things, I've still yet to place three Devil's Arms: the bow, the sword, and the staff. I think I want one in the country of Thor and the other two in the country of Fenrir... any suggestions?**

**...Also, should I be scared when I put my three major enemies through an alignment test and they all get good? O.o'**

**Now then, please welcome Tim, Macaron, and Hyouko! I do not own Macaron in any way, shape, or form. This Tim may share a name with the Tim in my Sonic story, but they are different people.**

**And with that, please enjoy the chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Tales of games. They are owned by Namco.**

**--Wolfish Listener--**

We land outside of Ymir Forest, and I return the Rheairds to the wing pack. I glance over at Arche; I wonder if the elves will let her in, since she's a half elf and all... Well, there's only one way to find out. We walk to Ymir Forest, where there's a guard standing watch. No, not just one... there are some up on the cliffs, bows and arrows ready. As we approach the one on the ground, he watches us as if in disgust. That's not a good sign...

"Humans are not allowed beyond this point."

"We wish to speak with Princess Kalinthra. Is there any way that that's possible?" Dad asks for us.

"Not without the approval of Kazenohanzoku."

I blink. "Who?" I can't even tell what he said exactly...

"Even then, I'm not sure we'd let all of you in... I can't tell what some of you are." He glances first at me and then at Dhaos. Keh...

"Okay... We just need to talk to this Kaze-whatever guy, right? Is he here?"

The elf stares at me like I'm an idiot. Well that's just great... "We will not allow you in without having at least their approval. Leave."

Keh... I turn to the others.

"Well, there's not much we can do about it... Let's go to Yggdrasil," Milard speaks up, and we nod in agreement. We walk away from the Ymir Forest.

"So we have to find some guy to get in..."

"No." I glance down at the little ninja. "Kaze no Hanzoku... those are words from my language. Either they are talking about someone in specific with that title or they are talking about a group. If we want to get in, we should find the ninja village in this era."

"Well, if this person or group was in Treantwood, like in our time, they wouldn't ask for their approval, right?"

"Precisely."

"Well, maybe we'll run into these people on our adventures. Let's go." I open up the wing pack and let the flying machines jump out; we hop on them. We lift up and fly across the ocean, to the Forest of Spirits... and Yggdrasil. Near there is where Miguel is by our time.

The mountains around the forest is coming into view. We won't be able to land in the forest... ah! "Hey, it looks like we can land on that cliff," I call out, nodding down to a wide ledge on one of the mountains. The drivers lower down towards that ledge, and we land. I return the Rheairds to the capsule once again, and we start walking down the mountain. That large tree off in the distance... that must be Yggdrasil. But...

"Yggdrasil doesn't have many leaves..." Cless speaks up. "It's worse in this time than in ours..."

"Poor Yggdrasil... It must be hard..." agrees the dove. Yggdrasil's lived for thousands of years... and it's going to live past this, right? Besides, maybe it's not as bad as it looks from here...

"Before we go down..." Milard speaks up; we turn to her. "We should probably eat. We can make sandwiches..." She sets the pack on the ground and pulls out a cloth. On that, she sets down the different ingredients. "Everyone take what you want this time." Okay... I take two pieces of bread and... Let's see, ham and turkey... plus some mayonnaise... This should be good. I take a bite. Yeah... that's good enough for me. I continue eating and stare down the mountain, at the forest. It looks pretty dark down there...

I hear Milard packing up; I turn to see Dad holding her sandwich as she slings the pack over her shoulder. She takes her sandwich again. "Now we can move while eating." She takes a bite of her sandwich and leads the way down the mountain. Heh, works for me.

We hurry down into the dark forest. Whoa... this is different from the future... Everything here is dying or rotting away... there are some bones around here, too. If this is just the forest... then what about Yggdrasil? "...Come on." I lead the way towards the great tree. The clearing should be coming up soon...

What in Martel's name... Is Yggdrasil even alive...?! What little leaves it has are either very pale or turning brown, and its bark looks weak and rough. It's much smaller than by our time... The plants around it are all dead, and there's not a blade of grass in a large circle under it. There are also a lot of dead rodents and birds littered around...

"Onii-chan... is this really the Yggdrasil of this time...?" Ami grabs my clothes as she watches the tree, worried.

"...Yeah."

"Magitechnology... It's the same thing that destroyed our first great tree, thousands of years ago," says Dhaos.

"T-this is..." The half elf stares at Yggdrasil with wide pink eyes. "How can they not see what they're doing to it...?!"

Mint steps up to the tree and stands before it, her staff in front of her. "I will do what I can to heal it..." She concentrates, and a magic circle appears around her. "Resurrection!" The spell hits the tree... I see a few brown leaves change to more of a pale green...

Magical bubbles appear in front of Yggdrasil—there's a flash of light. A woman appears—Martel...! She stares at us, sadness in her olive eyes. "Thank you... but I'm afraid a spell like that won't be able to help Yggdrasil. Not while magitechnology is still in wide use..."

"Then what can we do for Yggdrasil...?!"

"There may not be much more time for Yggdrasil... But if you wish, then listen with all of your heart... Can you hear this child...?"

Listen? Child? What's she talking about...?

"Close your eyes and listen..."

Right... I close my eyes. What exactly am I listening for...? Well, I have the best hearing here, so...

I hear the wind blowing through the trees. There's not much life moving around... besides us, of course. Speaking of, someone's shuffling. Other than that, though, I don't really hear anything... Oh wait, there's a far-off bird. Geez this forest is qui—

Wait... what's that rustle? There's a few... all faint... Squirrels, maybe...? But... I think I smell humans... So there are people here...? Where are they...

"Um... Chester?"

I blink and open my eyes; wha...?! "W-why's everyone staring at me?!" Martel's gone...

Cless points to my head. Or above my head... "On your head..."

Huh...? I reach up to feel. Something furry... W-wait... wolf ears?! I feel them twitch. They're real... I turn to my friends. "What the hell?! _Why_?!"

"Interesting..."

"Dad!"

"This happened when you were trying to listen, right? My guess is that when you need to use your wolf senses in your human form, you'll gain the wolf parts that you need... Be careful the way you use it; if others were to see—"

"—they'd know that you're a daemon, right?" A new voice?! We turn to look at the newcomer. There's someone—a boy, from the voice—leaning against a tree with a fairy hovering next to him. He's dressed in a black cloak, complete with a hood covering his head. There's a black jewel at the front of the hood, where it attaches to the center of the rest of the cloak. The cloak comes together in the front, and it has sleeves for his arms.

The fairy next to him has short blue hair and matching eyes. Two sapphire jewels stick up from her head, on either side of her forehead. Her shirt, if that's what you'd call it, looks like a sapphire butterfly pattern with an orange jewel at the top. Two aqua bands go from that to her back—the same color as her transparent wings. She also has what appears to be gloves and boots—or they could be part of her skin—that are the same sapphire shade.

Keh... I concentrate on making my wolf ears disappear. There... they should be gone now. "Who are you and what do you want?"

"I'm the one asking the questions here," the boy says, annoyed.

"Funny, I count nine of us and one of you. Two if you include the fairy." Wait a second... The smell of people is strong... I glance around. That tree... there's a person in it...! There's another in the tree next to that...

"...No," our little ninja speaks up. "We're surrounded... and outnumbered." Wha...?!

"You're pretty good. It'd probably be best for you to surrender peacefully."

I glance down at Suzu. "Suzu. How many?"

"Sixteen that I've counted, but there could be more... They are ninja."

Ninja... wait, the Kaze no Hanzoku thing is here?! Come to think of it... That time we tried warping to Miguel in the past, even further back than here... didn't we end up in a ninja village?

"What should we do...?" I hear the cleric ask. I turn to the group.

"If we surrender, what'll happen to us...?" Ami sounds worried.

"But these could be the Kaze no Hanzoku people," the angel points out, keeping his voice down.

"Yes, and it'd be easier to talk to their leader if we get on their good side," adds Milard.

"And we're still outnumbered..." I turn back to the cloaked guy. Keh... I hate that I'm about to say this, but... "...All right. We surrender."

He nods. "So then, a daemon... are the rest of you daemons as well?"

"None of them are. Just me."

"Why would humans be traveling with a daemon?" He has a point...

"What does it matter if Chester's a daemon?" Cless speaks up. "He's a good person... That's what matters."

"And what are you guys doing here?"

"We came to visit Yggdrasil," answers Mint.

"Why?"

"We're travelers who are studying this world," my father inputs.

"Well, then now you've seen what magitech does to this world. Happy?"

"Master..." The fairy looks a little worried.

"We'd like to speak to your leader," says the meerkat.

"You're lucky we haven't gone ahead and killed you for trespassing. Where are you from?"

"An island off the coast of Thor."

"So you support the king of Thor?"

The king of Thor... I don't know much about that guy. I know Merilynn from long ago, and I've met Sauound's family... I met the prince of Thor when he was little, but I didn't talk to him much. Let's see... he stood up for Merilynn using his status as prince... He seemed pretty confident in his station as prince that last time I saw him, too. This is the kingdom of Thor... would the ninja like it best if we support him? Or maybe we should stick with the same status as last time... "We prefer to stay out of the war. We're not really that concerned with the higher ups and all."

The boy watches us—or at least, I assume he does, since I can't see his eyes...

There's a crash in the forest—a tree fell?! The cloaked boy glances up at Yggdrasil, and my gaze follows. A branch is breaking...! It falls, hitting the ground hard.

"Master, magitech is being used!" the fairy says.

"Dammit, not again...!"

A woman jumps down from the trees and lands near him. She has chestnut hair tied up in a high ponytail. Her sharp brown eyes glance around, studying the situation. Her outfit is black, covering most of her body in a style similar to that of Suzu's and the other ninjas' outfits. "Macaron, can you pick up a lead on it?"

"Yes... It's coming from nearby." Macaron must be the fairy...

"Tim, you're on the case," she says to the cloaked boy. She then turns to a section of forest. "As are you five." And then she turns to us. "I'm tired of words. Four of you will go with them and prove your worth. The others will stay here as insurance. Should you fail or attempt to hurt any of the ninja, the ones remaining here will be killed. If you succeed, I'll let you go... though meeting our chief is another matter." Keh, figures... "I want the daemon to go—I'm interested in seeing if he can stick to this agreement."

Keh...! "Of course I can!"

"Then choose three others."

Three... Who should I choose? Let's see...

I don't want to leave any of them behind... Especially not...

Wait, Arche would just make a bigger mess of things. She'd be the _worst_ person to bring when our success matters! So... I'll have to leave her behind again... But I can at least tease her before I do. "Definitely not Arche. She'd just make a mess of things."

"What?! Chester!"

"Chester." I stare down at the speaker: Suzu. "May I come?"

Suzu's a ninja, and this is a ninja mission... Plus, she's skilled. "All right. Thanks, Suzu."

"Oh sure, be nice to Suzu!" complains the loud weasel. "Why are you so mean to me?!"

"It's quite loud here, don't you think? Let's take a quiet person with us..."

"Jerk!"

"Chester, you know you really shouldn't instigate it like that..." my best friend attempts to point out. Heh, but it's so much fun...

Okay then, the other two...

"...I would like to help, since it deals with magitech." Wait... Dhaos?! I stare at him.

"_You_?!"

"Is there a problem with that?"

I'm not sure I want to take him...

"I want to come, too!" Ami?! "I don't want to be left behind any more... So leave this to Group Syukuzen!" Group Syukuzen... Ami, Suzu, and Dhaos... If I brought Ami, she'd be safe, but she's pretty clumsy...

"I'm not so sure about this..."

"Chester-kun, have you ever considered how Ami-chan has felt?" Eh...? I turn to the meerkat as she speaks. "She and I were left behind at Morrison's while you went off on your adventure before, and then we were confined in the basement... Dhaos and I tried to leave her behind when we came to help you after that, and then you wanted to send her back home after we arrived in Miguel. And after that, she got separated from you and your father by the boulders a few days ago, and ended up being part of the group that was first escorted around and then kidnapped." Ack... "The rest of us have accepted her as a member of the team now; when will you?"

I glance down at my sister again, who's staring up at me hopefully. I guess Milard's right about Ami getting left behind a lot... I don't really want her to be in all of the fighting... but... "...All right. But don't do anything stupid."

"I won't! And thank you Onii-chan!" She hugs me around the waist. Heh... She lets go and hurries over to Milard. "Thank you, Milard-san!"

"Be careful, Ami-chan."

"I will!" She hurries back over to me, and the four of us going step forward, towards the lady.

"We're going."

"Your names?"

"Chester, Ami, Suzu, and Dhaos," I say, pointing to each of us in turn.

"Name's Hyouko. You'll be working with Tim and Macaron." She nods to the cloaked boy and the fairy. "The other ninja will follow you in."

"I'll explain the mission on the way. Let's go," Tim says, and we nod in agreement. He leads the way out of the forest. As we get further from Yggdrasil, plants start looking more alive and I can hear some rodents and birds skittering around.

Macaron glances around, as if deciding which way would be best. "It's south of us." She points towards the mountains.

"Well, now that we're out of the forest, we can fly." I open up the wing pack and release the Rheairds. Tim stares at the machines, his mouth hanging open.

"W-where did you _get_ those?!"

"We stole them." We _did_ kinda take advantage of Yggdrasil's attack on the Renegade base... and it still keeps with our neutral appearance.

"Are they magitech...?"

"They use electrical energy to run," explains Dhaos. Oh good, glad someone knows...

"Judging on their systems, input, and output," the fairy says, "they should take in a little more air and mana as they put out, using internal systems to run. They're relatively efficient machines."

Tim grins. "All right, then! Let's fly!" Somehow, the two kids end up driving, with me on the back of Ami's and Tim on the back of Suzu's. The angel is flying on his own, like usual. We lift up off the ground and fly south.

There are some daemons flying in the air ahead of us... in our path. "I'll take care of those things..." I notch an arrow and aim up into the air. "Wild Rain!" I shoot up; arrows fall back down on the daemons, and they fall to the ground. "Heh, no problem!"

"That's the building," Macaron reports, and we look down. Ahead a little ways is a large base or something... I guess a research facility. The kids land just on the other side of the mountains, and we hop off of the Rheairds. I return them to the wing pack, and then we turn towards the base.

"That's the place... Let's go!" He hurries towards the base, and we follow close behind. There's a decent amount of trees, so we use them to cover us. I'll keep an eye on the guards, just in case... None of them have looked this way yet, which is good. I move to the front of the group. One of the guards is turning this way...! I quickly stop and hold my arm out; the others stop as well. I point up towards the building before they ask anything. Hopefully they get the picture... Focusing back on the guard... he doesn't seem to notice us. Oh good, he's turning away... now it's safe. I lower my hand and start hurrying forward again, and I can hear the others speeding up behind me. We're almost there... and almost out of the trees. Luckily, the closes guard is going the other way now... and two are talking. Heh, some watch they are. All right, we're out of the trees... As long as they don't look, we're—

"Stop!" I hear Tim hiss; I quickly pull to a halt and glance back at him. He points, and we all look... Are those... cameras?! ...Okay, I guess I should've expected as much, considering that these guys are ahead of us in magitech... Geez, it feels like everything Dad taught me in history class was wrong. "Macaron..."

"Please take cover. I'll be right back," she says before she flies towards the cameras. We back up, towards some large bushes, and hide behind them. It's hard to see her, since she's so small... but she's flying up to the cameras and... Ah, she's turning them off! Nice! She's hovering now, watching us...

"All right, looks like she's done. Let's hurry up with this place!" Tim exclaims confidently as he hurries out of the bushes and towards the fairy. We run after him, up to the side of the facility, where Macaron joins us. The boy pulls a rope, already formed into a lasso, out of his large cloak and throws it up—it grabs around a beam coming from the metal roof. I look down from that to see a second floor window in the path of the rope... that must be our entrance.

Macaron flies up and peeks in. "There is no one inside, Master!"

"Thanks, Macaron!" He holds the rope firmly in both hands and starts climbing. Dhaos flies up next to him, while the ninja girl starts climbing the rope next. The window shatters as the angel punches through it, and the boys jump in. Ami starts climbing the rope next. Suzu gets in, and my sister's almost at the top; I start climbing. Why am I last on the rope thing again...? Well, at least we're not trying to climb out of something that's falling apart again...

I make it up to the window and lift myself in. I jump to the ground and land next to the others.

"Okay, the ninjas should be arriving soon... they're our decoy," Tim explains. "Macaron, where's the machine?"

"It's down a level... in the northeast. So from here, you want to go straight and left."

"Right!" He leads the way out of this room, and we follow. I can hear footsteps running away from us... they must be going towards our decoys. The halls are pretty empty, thanks to that. Let's see, the stairs must be somewhere around here... Ah, there they are! We race downstairs. Now then, northeast. We should be in the south now, unless I lost track...

"Which way from here...?" the cloaked boy asks.

"We're in the south center area of the building," explains Macaron. Heh, so I'm right!

"This way, then!" I take the lead, and we run down the halls, trying to get to the northeast. Uh-oh, there's some fighting that way... If we turn left here, then maybe we can avoid it... I turn, and I hear the others follow behind me. All right, I just have to listen closely to the battle...

"Hey, wolf boy, your ears are showing again."

"Shut up!" Keh...! "If you don't want them to show, then why don't you give me that cloak or something?"

"No way! You're on your own!"

All right, we seem to be past the worst of the battle now. Macaron flies ahead of us, and towards a specific door. "Master, it's in this room!"

"Great job, Macaron!" Tim bursts through the door without even looking to see what's inside. Idiot...! The rest of us quickly follow to find some scientists inside. They hold up some magitech guns.

"Let's go!" The other four charge at the scientists to fight up close, while I notch an arrow in my bow and take aim. I shoot at a scientist right before he fires the gun at Ami; he falls. Suzu's and Dhaos' scientists also fall—I glance over at the other two.

"Soaring Blast!" My sister's falls back, unconscious. And Tim uses punch and kick combos, from the looks of it... He kicks his enemy's head and the scientist falls, unconscious.

"Piece of cake!" our companion says proudly. "And it must be that machine." He points to one that's on. Laying on the table part of it is a hammer...

"It's a Devil's Arm," the sparrow speaks up as she walks forward. "The Destroyer."

"We should turn off the machine before taking it," Dhaos suggests.

"Someone help me figure out how, then..." Tim starts studying the machine, and we join him.

Let's see... maybe these things—"Ow!"

"What happened?"

I turn to the boy who lives in this time period. "Why is there silver on this machine?!"

"Silver's a good conductor of magic. This machine probably has quite a bit."

Keh... I back up. "You guys have fun with it, then. I'm not touching silver." I lean back on a surface—"Ow! This one, too?!"

Tim laughs. "Might want to watch what you touch!"

"Keh..."

"Ah, maybe this switch!" We turn to Ami as she presses a switch. She then stands up straight and we watch the machine.

What the...?! The part attached to the hammer glows different colors, and it breaks away from the rest. It looks like a hand...

"Life form detected. Initiating copy sequence..." An arm starts growing out from the hand. It spreads when it reaches where a body should be and makes a person—wait, that's...! Ami?!

"Ah...!" My sister backs up, and I hurry over to her.

The machine that looks like my sister stands, holding the Destroyer in hand. "Copy complete. Battle sequence initiated..." A dark energy pulses from the Devil's Arm, covering the machine in a dark aura.

"What's going on here?! Why does it look like my sister?!"

"It's a machine that has no body, so it copies the first one it sees... That switch must've activated it," Macaron explains calmly.

"Initiating human movement sequence... Strengthening artificial limbs... Speeding up artificial limbs... Searching for battles... Found." It turns its head to the wall. It leaps off of its stand and swings the hammer at the wall—it easily breaks through. It then charges off across the plains. It's... incredibly fast...! There's no way we could catch up...!

"This isn't good... Let's get this machine off, blow the place, and then chase after it!" suggests Tim.

"Do you _really_ think you can catch up with it?"

"Maybe if we take those flying machines...!"

"We won't know which way to go."

"Will the ninja be able to find it?" Suzu speaks up.

"Oh... Yeah, the ninja of Mizuho could probably track it down in no time!"

"Then we should return to them."

"Right... Let me just figure out this thing..." Tim bends down next to the machine and studies it some more. "Ah, here!" He flips a switch and all functions of the machine shut down.

"I guess that won't stop the Destroyer, huh?"

"Nope... that one already broke away."

"Then we'll just have to chase it down."

"Onii-chan... Everyone..." my sister speaks up, sounding worried. "I'm sorry..."

I sigh. "Okay, no more random button-pressing for the clumsy one. I just hope your mechanical copy doesn't have the same clumsiness as you, or this world will be in trouble!"

"Hey! Onii-chan!"

"Then again, it'd be hard to copy that; you take it to a whole new level."

"Onii-chan! Stop being so mean!"

"We should leave before people find us," Dhaos speaks up. Aw, but I was having fun teasing Ami...

"Right. I've just set up a bomb... I just need to give the signal..." Tim starts concentrating. "Cyclone!" He sends a small tornado through the building, towards the battle. So he can use magic... "Let's go!" He jumps out of the hole in the wall, and the rest of us follow. As we run, I pull out the wing pack and open it up, bringing out two Rheairds. We hop on and fly away, back towards the forest with Yggdrasil—behind us, I can hear the building exploding. Now we just need to track down that machine... and it looks like my sister... This could be bad. We'll just have to keep the real Ami with us and hope the machine doesn't get her in trouble...

**Chester gained the title of Wolfish Listener. It is a title given to one who uses wolf features to listen to things better.**

**Ami gained the title of Accepted Team Member. It took a while, but with determination and practice, she became a trusted member of the team!**

**Arche left the party.**

**Klarth left the party.**

**Cless left the party.**

**Mint left the party.**

**Milard left the party.**

**Tim joined the party.**


	65. Comforting Brother

**Sorry again for taking so long! Finally got to the tournament... that went a lot quicker than I thought it would. Thank you, Rarutos-kun, for helping me with random things, and thank you David-san for helping me with other things and beta-reading half of it!**

**If anyone's wondering about Chester's random transformation, that happens sometimes since he's still getting used to it...**

**Also, I have a random skit about the poll on my profile at the very top of the profile... I'll probably take that down in a few weeks.**

**And I've also completely remade my website, so feel free to poke around it. I'll put music on it once I figure out what song I want to use.**

**Oh, and all Devil's Arms are placed! Thank you to all of those who gave me suggestions!**

**Finally, if you're part of the Tales Brigade, add me as a friend! I'm AyameMajikku on there! I'll probably blog when I'm procras—I mean, not working on story for some very unknown reason. ...Yeah. That's exactly it...**

**Well, I think that's it. Enjoy the chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Tales games. They are owned by Namco. Enjoy some random cameos!**

**--Comforting Brother--**

"Land here," Tim calls out to us as we approach the forest; the kids lower us just outside of the forest, and we hop off of the Rheairds. I return them to the wing pack and we then follow our cloaked companion into the forest. After a little while, he concentrates. "Shadow Storm..." Wind and leaves swirl around us, transporting us into a village. This is a ninja village all right... It has the same wooden houses that we've seen in our time and that past era, plus a stream running through it... There's a group of ninja gathered up, and our friends are with them; we hurry over.

"Welcome back. How'd it go?" Hyouko asks.

Tim explains about the magitech machine getting away and the place being blown up...

"...A magitech machine running wild...? We'll get some people on it right away," the woman ninja says after hearing everything. She then turns to us, trying to decide what to do. "As for the nine of you... You want to see Kalinthra, right?"

"Yeah." I'm guessing the others told her while we were gone...

"We can arrange a meeting with her for you... but right now, I have no reason to even trust you."

Keh...

"However, as I told these five... I'm willing to give you a chance to prove yourselves, especially since you passed the first test. Tim, you'll be in charge of them a little longer."

"Why do I gotta do it?!"

"Because it'd be safer if you had help on the mission." Turning back to us, she continues, "Your first mission will be to chase down that machine. After that's done, I'll give you more."

"Right... We want to do that one anyway," I tell her.

"Good. Then get some rest. We should have information on it by morning. You can stay at Tim's house."

"_My_ house...?!"

"Do you have an objection with that...?"

"Ah... no..."

"Good. I'd hate to use you as target practice again." She turns and walks away. The other ninjas also clear out, leaving our group, Tim, and Macaron.

"Target practice...?"

"Don't ask. Come on, my house is this way..." He shuffles along, leading the way, and the rest of us follow him to a house on the far side of town. We enter; huh... it's pretty bare in here. There's a fire pit, a table with a mat, and some blankets on the floor... I guess that's meant to be a bed. There's also a small dresser, and on top of it is an open treasure chest that's padded inside. That's it... and this is the only room in here... "I hope you have sleeping bags or something," our host speaks up as he walks over to his small mess of blankets. He collapses down on it with a small sigh. Macaron sits in the treasure chest.

"Please make yourselves at home," the fairy says kindly.

"Thank you," Mint speaks up. Milard sets the pack down and starts getting out the blankets—we walk over and each take at least one. Geez, how does everything fit in there...?! I don't even want to bother asking tonight... We all find seats around the room, filling up the small house.

"So, are you going to take off that hood yet?" I ask Tim.

"Maybe. First I wanna know what all of you guys are. A daemon... or is it two?"

"Most of us are human," Cless speaks up. "Chester's a werewolf, Dhaos is an angel, and Arche's a half elf."

"Wait, angel?"

"Ah... he's..." The steed trails off, at a loss of how to explain.

"...I won't ask any more. I have some secrets, too."

"Like what's under that hood?"

"Not to people like you... I've never seen you before." With a sigh, he reaches up to his hood and takes it off. He has short, messy hair... His hair is black—no, wait, dark blue—and his eyes are green. He looks to be a human boy... a few years younger than me... "I have a little bit of a bad history with some... I don't want them to know where I am 'til I'm ready, so I wear the hood."

"You're a kid..."

"I-I am not!"

"How old are you?" I ask.

"Fifteen!"

"You're a kid."

"At least I'm not a stupid mutt!"

"...What?" Did he just...

"You heard me! You're a type of dog, so you're a mutt!"

"I'm not a mutt!" Why that little...!

"Well I'm not a kid!"

"Chester, must you pick on _every_ new person you meet?" Dad asks with a sigh.

"I don't pick on _everyone_..."

"Everyone who's a good target. Anyway..." He shifts so he's looking at Tim. "Are you a human?"

"Of course!"

"Then how can you use magic?"

"Ah, that's..." He pauses, thinking. He then turns his head up, not looking at any of us. "I won't ask about your angel if you don't ask about that."

"I suppose we have no choice, then... Well, are you willing to tell us how many other humans can use magic?"

"There aren't many... Most of us are here, in the country of Thor. In fact, the only human outside of Thor that can use magic is the prince of Odin, Sauound."

"But there are others in Thor?"

"Yep. The scientists at the castle are studying it..." After another long pause, he lays down, his back to us. "Oh well. Doesn't matter to me... I have this magic, and I'm going to use it however I see fit."

"Master..."

"Night."

Macaron glances at us, worried, before she lays down in her treasure chest. Keh... why are the people who know the most so mysterious about this? Oh well... Dad's intent on pursuing it, so no doubt we'll find out more... tomorrow, though. We all lay down and try to get some sleep.

Sleep... It feels too early to sleep...

I wonder where the Destroyer's gone. Hopefully it can't cross water... But this continent still stretches for a long way, right? All the way up to Venezia. Between here and there is Euclid and Lone Valley... a lot of mountains and a lot of walking. Well, the ninja will find it, right? I just hope it doesn't cause havoc as Ami or something. Speaking of... how's she doing?

I glance over at her. She's already asleep... She rolls to her side, so she's facing me—wait... She looks like she's... afraid... I sit up. She's trembling... "Ami...?" She's asleep... I get up and walk over to her. I kneel down next to her. "Hey, Ami..."

...Dammit, bad timing. I just turned into a wolf...

"O-Onii-chan..." she mutters as she shifts nervously in her sleep. She's afraid... Why...? What is she dreaming about...? "Please... come back to your senses..."

She's... having a nightmare about when I lose control... isn't she...?

"Onii-chan..." She shifts again. Ami...

"...You should lay down next to her." I turn to look at the voice—Milard. She's sitting up, watching. "I'm sure it would comfort her to know that her brother's okay..."

Is that it...? But...

"Chester-kun, she's not afraid _of_ you, she's afraid _for_ you. Remember that time you got cut off from her on the phone?"

She knows about that...?!

"Ami-chan was so scared... She may not always show it, but she really cares about you. And you're the same way, correct?"

Where does she get that...?

"Yes. He always teases the people he cares about most," Dad pipes up, still laying down. "Considering how much you tease Ami..."

...That again...?! Geez...

"Onii-chan..." Ami's still afraid... It's better if I'm human, right? I just have to change back to my human form...

...All right, I'm human again—

...Dammit all. How am I already back to wolf?!

Dad chuckles, and his soon-to-be girlfriend giggles. "Looks like you don't have complete control over it yet."

Keh... figures... Well, whatever. I lay down next to Ami and she quickly grabs my fur, scared. Milard gets up and walks over; she kneels down next to us and pats Ami's head. My sister slowly calms down, until she's sleeping peacefully.

Well, she seems to be doing better... I get up and walk back to my bed before she has a chance to wake up and find out that I came to comfort her. Wouldn't want _that_ to happen, now, would I?

Yeah, she's fine now... I glance around at the others. They're all doing fine, too. And... almost everyone's already asleep. How can they sleep so easily...? Well, at least this floor will be more comfortable as a wolf... I lay down. Milard comes over to help me with the blanket. She kinda acts like a mother for all of us...

"You know, Klarth, you _could_ help some, since you adopted them..." she scolds Dad in a hushed voice. He's not saying anything... "Klarth?" Nothing. Milard sighs and turns back to me. "Please don't ever end up like him..." Heh, funny that she should say that. Though he isn't exactly doing a good job at this whole father-business compared to Milard...

When we're done with this journey, where will we all go...? It's been so long since we were last in our time... I suppose Dad, Ami, and I will go home... Cless will probably return to his house as well—oh wait... What about the thing with the king and the knights? And I was wanted... Maybe things won't be so easy when we get back. That's right, isn't Mint the princess? Maybe she can help so things aren't so rough on us... Arche won't have a hard time going back to her parents, and Suzu will also return home just fine... Milard's also on the wanted list, I think, since she helped me out or something... and Dhaos can just bypass the whole thing and go back to Derris-Kharlan. Keh... I just hope Mint will be enough to stop all of us from being thrown in jail right away... That'd suck, considering all this trouble we're going through... After all of this, I think it's safe to say that kings don't understand a thing... Or maybe that royals don't make good parents... or both...

"Chester, wake up."

"Leave me alone..."

"Chester, the ninjas have things to tell us about the Destroyer."

"Mm-hm..."

"...Wake up."

"Is he always this hard to get up?"

"Unfortunately..."

"Chester, come on... The Destroyer looks like Ami, remember...?"

I sit up and look at my best friend. "Where the hell is it...?"

"We're going to find that out."

"Here, Chester-san..." Mint hands me a plate with some rice and meat mixture on it... it has two sticks—oh right, chopsticks... Right, Sheena told me to hold the chopsticks like this...

"Chester." Suzu—I turn to her to see her holding another pair. She shows me how to pick one of the cylinders up, and then she eats it. Okay, it doesn't look that hard... and I'm holding them right...

I try to grab one of the things—one side's slipping a little... Okay, I just need to reposition it... Here. I pick it up—"Ah..." It fell... I try again. Like that... I definitely have it this time! I pick it up and—wha?! It fell again...! Keh...

"You're not doing a very good job with that..." observes Arche.

"Shut it! I _will_ get it this time!" I grab it on either side with the sticks and pick it up. I have it... Now I just have to get it to my mouth—

...And now it's on the floor. The others are laughing now... Keh... "This isn't funny! How do people even _eat_ like this?!" ...Wait a sec... "How did _you guys_ eat like this...?!" They laugh even harder... What am I missing...?!

"Sorry, Chester-san... Everyone insisted..." Mint says, though she's smiling behind her hand...

"We just ate it with our fingers!" the witch explains between giggles. "But watching you struggle with the chopsticks was _hilarious_...!" She starts laughing harder.

...I don't believe this... "Okay, then let's see _you_ do it!" I shove the sticks at her.

"Wha?! Hey now, I was smart not to use those!"

"More like cowardly..."

"You jerk! I'll show you..." She tries grabbing one with her chopsticks, as I go ahead and start eating with my fingers. That's _much_ easier... And this is pretty good! I was worried by the rice...

"What is this stuff?"

"It's called sushi," the sparrow explains. "It's raw fish."

Everyone pauses, staring at her. "Raw fish...?" Cless asks timidly.

"It tastes pretty good." I eat another one.

"It's safe to eat, right...?" Ami picks one up and stares at it.

"Nope," I say quickly, "if you eat too much, your stomach will explode."

"Ah...!" She drops it and I laugh. Heh, she's so gullible...! "Ah... O-Onii-chan!" Haha, she caught on! Talk about slow! I don't think I can say something 'cause I'm laughing so much... Heh heh...

"Chester, be nice to your sister..." Dad says, though it doesn't sound like he really cares.

"But that's no fun!" I eat another piece. That was priceless...

"When you're ready, we can go find out about our mission from Hyouko," the angel speaks up coldly, from where he's standing by the door. Keh... I continue eating. I glance over at the half elf... Looks like she's given up on the chopsticks. Darn, I missed that... Oh well, I still got to make fun of Ami.

"Looks like you failed as well," I mutter to Arche as I eat another.

"Oh shut up! At least I was smart enough not to start with them!"

"Coward."

"Jerkface."

I eat a few more. Well, that's all that was on the plate... Those of us sitting stand, and Cless hands me my weapons. We head out of Tim's, to where he, Macaron, and Hyouko are waiting.

"It's about time," Hyouko says, annoyed. "Listen up; we're on a tight schedule. It seems the Destroyer has entered the Euclid tournament. We've already entered all of you and a few others into the tournament. You have until ten to get up there, or the first up will be omitted from the tournament."

"A tournament...?"

"The tournament's rules are simple, and you don't even have to kill your opponent. Anyone on the ground or out of the ring for more than ten seconds loses the match. And... I want all of you to try your hardest not only to defeat the Destroyer, but also to win. The winner will get a reward from the king of Thor... and will be invited to the castle. That takes us to your next mission... infiltrating the castle. We want to know what the royal family's up to... and Tim has his own mission to do there, which you'll help him with."

Geez, she doesn't make things easy, does she...? "And... when do we get to talk to your chief?"

"Once Tim's mission is successfully complete and we feel you have done enough for us."

Keh...

"You might want to hurry... The first match is Chester versus Suzu."

...Eh? I look down at the little ninja and she looks up at me. We have to fight each other...?!

Suzu nods. "Then let's both do our best."

"Right..."

"If that's the case, then we don't have much time... Let's go," Milard points out. We nod and Tim concentrates.

"Shadow Storm!" He transports us just outside of the forest. All right... now we just have to get to Euclid! I release the Rheairds from the wing pack, and we hop on; I hop on behind Suzu this time. We lift up and fly to Euclid. "Hey," Tim calls out from the back of Ami's Rheaird, "lets land on the cliffs so we don't stand out too much." Speaking of, the cliffs are coming up... We lower as we reach them, landing just on top of the cliff. We jump off the machines and return them to the capsule. I walk to the edge of the cliff, towards the city—whoa...! It's a lot larger now than in our time... And that coliseum on the far side must be where the tournament will be held...

"Euclid is well-known as a research town," Macaron explains. "However recently, it's become more of a tourist attraction, as lots of forms of entertainment have opened up in it."

"Yeah, it looks like a lot of big buildings... I don't see that many houses..."

"Most researchers live in small, two- or three-room houses in one building."

Wow... I guess sorta like the dorm thing, then...

We start walking down the cliff, towards the city. We enter it before long... It seems most people are headed towards the coliseum. We join the crowd and hurry over to it. Once inside, we walk up to the receptionist.

"Good morning. Are you here to purchase tickets?"

"No. We're fighters in the tournament."

"What are your names?"

I tell her everyone's first name. Hopefully she won't need last...

"All right... You can go through the door over there." She points to a door on the far right, between some food stands. "The tournament bracket's posted up inside. And take these..." She hands me ten iron bracelets with some sort of design on them. "Wear those so we can identify you."

"Thanks." I pass out the bracelets and we all put them on. We then walk to the door and enter it... In there, a bunch of other fighters are waiting for the tournament to start. Most are just hanging out... Where are the brackets posted? Ah... Over there; there's a pretty girl with short, blonde hair looking at them. An archer, too... nice! I walk over to her. "Hey there... You're entering the tournament?"

"Yes... Do I know you?"

"Name's Chester."

"My name is Natalia."

Natalia... I glance up at the poster. "So you're in the fight after me, then..."

"Then if we both win, we'll fight each other."

"Heh, yeah." What a shame... Though maybe she'll have no hard feelings if I win, and I can take her out to see the city or something later...

"You're an archer as well?"

"Yeah. I look forward to seeing your skills... And maybe we can talk about it some over din—"

"Excuse me!" Arche says loudly as she pushes me out of the way, to see the brackets.

"Ow... H-hey!"

"Oh sorry, didn't see you there," she lies nonchalantly.

"Liar! You're too short to miss me!"

"What was that?! You stupid jerk!"

"Is she a friend of yours...?" Natalia speaks up.

"Ah... I guess that's one way to say it..." Keh, she just _had_ to come in when I was talking to a pretty archer girl...

"Are you together, then...?"

"Wha?! No!"

"Hey look, I'm in the fourth match..." the witch speaks up, either not paying attention to us or pretending not to...

"Master, you're in the fifth match," I hear Macaron say from behind me.

I turn back to the brackets. "No one else in our group fights for a while... Looks like Cless is the first one starting up again."

"And then Mint's in the next match... Will she be okay?" Oh look, Arche's talking to me now...

"She has heal."

"Still... She's not a fighter..." I glance down the poster, looking for Ami. There she is, second to last match... fighting someone named Kosuke... Don't know who that is. I skim back up; I know I saw the Destroyer in there somewhere... Ah, there it is. "...What? The Destroyer's fighting a bugbear? That's not even fair..."

"Eh?! Why does it get to fight something easy like that?!"

"So, can we do anything while waiting for our matches?" Dad asks from behind me. Arche and I turn around.

"Yes. You're free to explore the city as you want," Natalia offers. "They have status on the tournament posted up around the city, so as long as you pay attention, you won't miss your match."

"Nice! Maybe we can explore when everyone gets a break, then!"

"I was thinking about going and grabbing supplies, since I won't be fighting for a while..." Milard says.

"I'll come with you," the summoner speaks up.

"Let me guess: you want to see the research facilities around here."

Dad chuckles. "Yeah. You don't mind, do you?"

"I'd like to see them as well... We'll explore together, then."

"That's fine by me." He turns to me. "Chester, good luck on your match. You too, Suzu."

"Yes, good luck to both of you."

"Thanks." Have fun on your date.

"We'll do our best."

They turn and head out; I see a content smile on Milard's face. Well, she's happy at least...

"Chester?" a man calls out; I turn to see a man holding a clipboard, looking around the room.

"Here." I hurry over to him.

"This way, please..." He leads me out of the room and through the underground halls of the coliseum. Well, this is it... time for the tournament to start.

...I guess they're getting Suzu and taking her to the other side... This is taking a while. And it's noisy out there... I stretch my arms out. We haven't fought anything today before this...

And I'm fighting a friend... which means I shouldn't use skills like Piercing Line and Dragon Slayer. And I can't turn into a wolf or I'll probably be arrested... Somehow, I doubt they'd like knowing that there's a werewolf here...

"Ladies and gentlemen," a voice announces to the crowd outside. "Welcome to this year's Euclid tournament! I hope you're ready for some excitement, because we have a large lineup this time!"

The gate opens up, and I look out into the bright sun. There's a stage, and around it is dirt... On the opposite side, I see Suzu standing, waiting as well.

"Starting off with the first match of the tournament... We have, on the east side... the Mutt, Chester!" What kind of title is that...?! Keh, stupid Tim...! Well, that would be my cue, as horrible as it is... I walk out into the light, holding my bow in my left hand. I walk up the stairs and onto the ring while people cheer. Not like they have a clue as to who I am anyway...

"Versus, on the west side... The girl of Sonic Speed, Suzu!" She runs forward and jumps into the air, where she flips before landing gracefully on the stage. Wow...!

"Fighters, get ready..."

Right... "No hard feelings, Suzu..." I reach up for an arrow, moving my feet for easy combat.

"May the most skilled win..."

**Chester gained the title of Mutt. You're a dog, so you're a mutt! It is a title given to him by Tim.**

**Chester gained the title of Comforting Brother. If his sister is having a nightmare, he'll be there to comfort her.**

**Milard gained the title of Perfect Mother. Even if she's not a mother, she has all of the qualities of a good one.**

**Klarth gained the title of Lazy Father. Milard has it handled, why do I need to help? I'll just sleep.**

**David-san gained the title of Super Sonic Helper. Not only does he read extremely fast, but he also helps out with ideas and betaing.**

**Party disbanded.**


	66. Kid Friendly

**Aya is slow. This is a fact.**

**Anyway, I've updated the website for this story a lot since I last posted the last chapter... It's what I do when I'm bored (and should be working on either homework or this story).**

**Speaking about boredom, I got bored the other day and started writing up a character interview thingy of Sauound. I'll post that on the Tales Brigade tomorrow if anyone's interested in learning more about him. If anyone has any questions I can put in there, let me know?**

**I took so long updating that I forgot what other announcements I had. So you guys are lucky. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Tales games. They're owned by Namco.**

**--Kid Friendly--**

I grab an arrow between my fingers; I already know where I want to aim, but she'll no doubt move before I have a chance...

"And... start!"

"Crow Blade!" Suzu quickly jumps up and spins down towards me—whoa...! I jump back—ow, she got my arm... Well, I won't let that stop me... I quickly notch the arrow and aim at her—I shoot—ah...! She's too fast...! "Ice Storm!" She throws a dagger—I jump back out of the way. "Merciless Thunder!" Ack, another—I manage to dodge that one as well.

"Hell Rush!" She charges in with her dagger—I jump back again. She keeps charging in close—all I can do is dodge...!

"Despite her small size, it seems Suzu has the upper hand with quick dagger skills!" the announcer calls out. "All Chester can do is dodge!" Keh...

...Wait, I'm bigger than Suzu!

I continue dodging her as I sling my bow over my shoulder. She stabs at my right side—I jump to the left and grab her arm—her right arm. I move behind her and put an arm around her stomach; I then lift her up off the ground.

"Ah...!" She tries kicking—heh, what she hits me with doesn't hurt much at all due to her angle.

"It seems Chester's just picked up Suzu! What is he planning on doing?!" the announcer calls out. Geez, must he always state the obvious?

"You can't win by holding me here," Suzu points out as she struggles.

"Neither can you. And I think I have the upper hand right n—ow!" That kick was pretty hard. "...All right then, you asked for it..." I push myself forward and we fall forward—we land on the ground with a thud. Keeping Suzu pinned down, I pick myself up a little.

"Chester now has Suzu pinned on the ground! One! Two!" He starts counting up to ten while Suzu struggles.

"Not a chance, Suzu. You're probably about half my weight."

"A ninja can get out of anything..."

"You forgot—I have a little sister; I know how to hold kids still."

"Nine, and ten! The winner of the first match is Chester!"

As the crowd cheers, I let go of Suzu and stand. I offer her a hand, which she takes, and I help her up. "You okay?"

"Yes..." I guess that might've hurt her pride a little, but she sounds just the same as ever... "Your arm needs to be treated."

Eh...? Oh right...! "Yeah, we'll have Mint look at that." Hm... "Hey Suzu, a ninja can get out of anything, right?"

"Correct."

"All right..." I pick her up and sling her over my right shoulder—the one without my quiver and bow. "Then get out of this and we'll be even."

"Ah...!"

Heh... I start walking off the stage, towards the entrance I came from. I walk inside, out of the view of the crowd. Oh, Natalia's here...

"Congratulations on your win," she says to me.

"Thanks. Good luck on your match!"

"Thank you."

I keep walking as I hear the announcer call her name—she walks outside. And Suzu's still not doing anything—wait...

She pushes my back and kicks her legs up, doing a flip off of me. I turn and face her as she lands perfectly on her feet.

"Show off," I tease with a grin. "Come on, let's go see the others." I turn back around, and we walk back to the contestant room.

"Chester... Next time, you won't hold me down."

"I better not." It's practice for when she's older, right? "But to be fair, you're _really_ light. You're lighter than my sister!"

"Do you pick her up often...?"

I open the door to the contestant room and move to allow the kid to enter first. "Whenever I want to use that method to pick on her." We walk in. The others aren't in here...?

Another door opens—most of our group comes in through that. Mint hurries over to us.

"Chester-san, Suzu-chan..."

"Chester, congratulations," my best friend speaks up as the cleric concentrates.

"Thanks... were you watching?"

"Yep! There are some seats reserved for fighters who wanna watch!" explains the witch.

"Nurse!"

"Thanks, Mint."

"Thank you."

"You used a cheap trick," I hear Tim mutter. I turn to the cloaked kid.

"Hey, what's with the 'mutt' thing, anyway?!"

"We were allowed to submit titles with your names... I thought 'Mutt' fit." I can hear the amusement in his voice... Keh...

"At least I'm not an annoying kid."

"I'm not a kid!"

"We have four kids in the group now, right?"

"Hey, Onii-chan! I'm a young lady!"

"I am a ninja."

Cless stares at me, confused. "Four kids...?"

"Yeah—oh wait, I guess Arche's our age... Hard to tell with how little she is and how she acts!"

"W-what?! You jerk!" she yells, completely off-guard; I can't help but laugh.

"Well, I'm going to go watch Natalia's battle."

"All right. There are quite a few battles between Tim's battle and my own, so why don't we meet up back here then?" suggests Cless. "We can go explore the city.

"Works for me." I wave to them and head out of the room. Let's see... which way...

"Onii-chan!" I turn to see my sister and Suzu following.

"Oh, you two are also coming?"

"Yep! Come on, I'll show you the way!" My sister hurries down the hall with Suzu and me following. I can hear the crowd cheering loudly, echoing down the empty halls. There are TVs hanging around, showing announcements and news. Before long, Ami leads us through a large hallway with open doors leading outside—towards the stands. We head out there and become a part of the booming crowd. I glance down at the battle to see Natalia fighting.

"Aerial Laser!" She throws her enemy into the air and shoots at him. Heh, looks like we have some similar skills!

"Onii-chan, this way!" A small hand grabs my own, and my sister pulls me through the crowd. Ah, that's Dhaos...! He's sitting in a seat, with quite a few seats on this side of him empty. I guess this is where everyone was sitting before... Ami takes a seat next to Dhaos, and I sit next to her; finishing off our small line is Suzu on the other side of me. We silently watch the battle as Natalia shoots her enemy with arrows. The large man falls and the announcer begins counting. Looks like we missed most of the battle...

"The winner is Natalia!" I clap for her as the crowd roars with excitement. She exits the arena to one side, and some of the workers for the tournament help her competitor. The next two, people I don't know, come out onto the stage next. After their battle is Arche's, right...? I think I'll stay here to watch that...

...Heh, of course I will—like I'd miss a chance to see her lose!

"Dhaos-san..." We all turn to stare at Ami when she speaks. "What are things like on Derris-Kharlan?"

"In what way?"

"I don't know..." Heh, she hasn't thought that far ahead.

"Culture," Suzu speaks up.

"Our culture is very different from Aselia's. We have many countries with many types of leaders. The Giant Kharlan Tree is kept in an area that's moderated by people from all large nations to keep anyone from taking advantage of it... and to protect it. Country, family, and the tree are important to us."

"How many people are there?"

"Almost two billion."

"Wow...!"

"Ami, there are probably about as many on Aselia..." I point out.

"Eh?! Really?! Isn't that a really big number?!"

"Yeah..."

"What else can you tell us about Derris-Kharlan?" Suzu speaks up.

"Hm... We also value education. As good as it is... sometimes I can't help but wonder if we've doomed ourselves."

I glance at the man. "Magitech...?"

"Yes. It's draining the mana of the Kharlan Tree. If our world loses its mana, it will die."

"That's why we're going to stop the gods, right?" my sister says. "Sometimes you have to give instead of take! Right, Onii-chan?"

"Right."

"Gods should not decide what the people of the two worlds want. We should decide for ourselves," adds the ninja.

"Yeah." We pause for a moment on this thought. Suzu's right... Even if they're trying to help our world, it's not up to them, but the people living here now...

"So Dhaos-san, what was your life like before this?"

"My life?"

"Yeah! What sort of things did you do? Do you have a job?"

We stare at Dhaos, who considers this in silence for a moment. "...I work for the alliance that protects the Giant Kharlan Tree."

"Lloyd and the others as well?" They mentioned that they were working for Dhaos once... or was it with him?

"Yeah. When we learned that Aselia might be against us, they came to investigate. They decided it best to find the 'heroes' everyone was talking about..."

"...And then they found us, one by one. Back then, I didn't really know what was going on... I left them when I thought they were the enemy. Who knew that eventually I'd be working with their companion?"

"Now we're all friends, right? Our whole group?" my sister questions.

"Friends...?"

"Well, I'm not sure if I'd say that, but... we're all working together for now." There's no way I'm friends with Dhaos! And Arche... I'll have to think about that one some.

"So we're friends!"

"Not everyone you work with is a friend!"

"But Onii-chan..."

"He's right." Eh? Dhaos is agreeing with me? "This is a dangerous journey... We are only working together for survival and the chance of winning."

Well, I guess I can agree with that, too...

"...Arche!" Wait, that was the announcer—Arche's walking up to the stage! She's holding her broom in her right hand... Why isn't she flying?

And the guy she's facing... Considering he's wearing huge robes and carrying a staff, I'm willing to bet that he's a mage or something. Last time I saw a battle between mages was Dad versus Arche, when we thought Dad was a traitor...

"Ready? ...Start!" Both opponents immediately start charging up. Yep, called it.

"Ice Needles!" Arche's enemy yells—the witch holds her arms up in defense as the man charges up again. Oh great, now he has the upper hand...! "Ice Tornado!" Arche's hit again and her opponent starts up another spell. "Stalagmite!" Dammit, Arche keeps getting hit hard...!

"Arche-san..." mutters my sister, worried. She'll be okay... she just needs to fly away from one of the spells...

"Tractor Beam!" Arche lifts up off the ground as the spell hits her. She quickly pulls her broom under her and starts charging up, staying in the air. All right, now it's her turn!

"Hm... To be able to float on a broom and cast spells..." Eh? The person behind me...?

"Thunder Blade!"

"All right! That was a nice hit!" Heh, and she starts charging up again.

"And her magic's not bad!" the man seated behind me continues. "Just who is this girl...?"

Keh... I turn to face him. "Why do you want to—huh?!" It's... Thor?!

The man's red eyes meet my own as his unruly hair falls in his face. Wait... is this person Thor...? After all, Sauound looked like Odin... Maybe this person is also important in some way...

"Something wrong?"

"Who are you...?" The others turn to look—I hear my sister gasp.

"Name's Galga. You're Chester, right? The mutt?"

Keh...! "I'm not a mutt!"

"Didn't you choose that title?"

"No!"

"Oh, and you're Suzu, right? You two are friends?"

"Yeah..." This guy seems very friendly...

"That'd explain your fight, then," Galga says with a grin. "I must admit that I've _never_ seen anything like that in the tournament!"

"It helps having a younger sister."

"Haha, I kinda wish I had a younger sibling... So is that girl with you?" He turns his attention back to the fight. Eh...?!

"W-what's that—"

"Yep!" my sister pipes up.

"W-wait, she's not..."

"She's our friend!"

...Oh. Geez, why did I even think _that_ first...?!

"I see... She's got this battle—no doubt about it."

I look back towards the fight as fire explodes across the stage. Arche's floating on her broom, exactly where she was before; her enemy falls to the ground and the announcer starts counting. Yeah, she's won—wait... That mage is—"Watch out!"

"Dreaded Wave!"

"Ahh...!" Arche falls off her broom—

"Arche!"

"And ten! The winner is Arche!"

Workers come in and help both out of the arena. Arche...

"Onii-chan... Are you all right...?"

"O-of course I am!"

"You look pretty tense," Galga speaks up.

"I-I am not! I'm just tired of being in such a loud crowd... It hurts my ears. I'm going back inside..." I stand and make my way through the people, to one of the entrances. I walk inside and away from the hollering, 'til it's a lot quieter. Okay, maybe now I can clear my head some...

...I should check on Arche... She got hurt pretty bad back there, right? Oh, but Mint can heal her...

I glance up at a television in the hall. It shows Tim's match starting. He's fighting with his cloak fully on... I guess to hide from whoever. ...Wow he's fast...! He's easily beating his opponent with a fury of kicks and punches.

"The battles will continue on throughout the day." The screen changes so it's not watching the battle anymore, but instead looking at an announcer. "Please stay tuned for more information on that. As for today's weather..."

Yeah, stay tuned for more information... You're sure doing a good job at keeping up with the tournament, going on to weather like that. The sun's definitely winning all its matches.

...Geez, why would anyone want to watch that for information on the tournament if they interrupt it like that?

"Chester? What are you doing out here?"

Ah... Cless. "Got too loud outside. You?"

"Getting something to eat. Want to come with me?"

"Sure." He starts walking, and I follow. We find the line for food and stand in it.

"We didn't hear that Arche was up until her match was almost over... She got hurt pretty bad, though..."

"She was up against a mage. He hit her with three spells before she took the lead... and then one more spell right before the ten count was finished..." Hurt pretty bad...

"...Chester."

"Hm?"

"She's okay now. Mint healed her." Good... But, I can't show that it matters.

"...Okay...?"

"You seemed worried."

"Why would I be worried? I hate her."

"Chester, maybe you should be honest..."

"I am being honest."

"Are you being honest to yourself?"

"To... myself?" Huh? "...Cless, do you realize how cheesy that sounds?" I step up to the counter. "I'll have water to drink."

"Two waters and a soda as well. Maybe it does sound cheesy, but I think you're lying to yourself. You need to accept the truth in how you feel instead of writing it off..."

Keh... I don't like this topic anymore. "So how are things going with you and Mint?" Oh, the receptionist is ready for more. "I'll have a chilidog."

"Ah... T-there's nothing...!"

"Your order, Cless?"

"Ah... T-three hotdogs, one with everything on it... and fries."

We pay and then step off to the side to wait for them to cook it.

"There's nothing between me and Mint!"

"But how do you feel about her?"

"J-just as a friend...!"

"Now who's not being honest with himself?"

"I'm being honest..."

"Uh-huh. So the other food you ordered is for Mint and Arche, I take it?"

"Yeah. They were hungry, so I offered to get food for everyone!"

"You're too nice sometimes. Watch it, or someone will take advantage of that."

"I'll be fine. Oh, the food's ready."

We each grab two hotdogs and two drinks walk back towards the combatant room, where Mint and Arche will be.

"You should ask Mint out on a date while we're relaxing in a city for a little bit," I suggest as we walk.

"I-I told you, there's nothing..."

"You went on a date with her before."

"That wasn't supposed to be a date... Besides, we've already decided that we're all going out between Tim's match and my own."

"There are later rounds." Ah, there are the girls, sitting outside of the room... Well, that's the end of this conversation.

"Maybe you should ask Arche out on a date," Cless whispers so the girls can't hear.

Eh...?! I pause and stare at him. Me... and Arche... on a date...?!

"Here you go, Mint."

"Thank you, Cless-san."

"Hey, Chester..." Arche leans sideways in front of me. "You okay?"

"Y-yeah..."

"Then what are you standing there like an idiot for? Gimme my food already!"

"...No." I hold it up above her head. She left her broom back by Mint.

"You jerk! Give that to me...!" She reaches up. Haha, she's so short!

"What, can't reach it? Midget."

"I am not! You're just abnormally tall!"

"No, you're just abnormally short."

"Okay, fine then..." She starts charging up. Ack...!

"All right, all right! You can have the food..." I hold it out for her to take. "Just don't use any spells on me..."

"Yay!" Arche snatches her food and hurries back over to the bench, where she sits down next to Mint. Heh... She's just like a kid sometimes... I walk over and sit next to Cless. The four of us start eating.

"Did you get tired of watching the matches, Chester-san?"

"Yeah... it was too loud out there. Ami, Suzu, and Dhaos are still out there. Oh right... and we met someone..."

"Someone...?"

"Someone who looks just like Thor."

"Eh?!"

"Like the way Sauound looks like Odin...?" Cless asks.

"Yeah, I think so..."

"What was his name?" questions the witch.

"Galga."

"Galga...?"

"He seems surprisingly friendly for someone who looks like that oaf. But—"

"Never trust a Galga," Tim's voice says as he walks through the open door next to us.

"Tim-san...! Macaron-san...!"

"So he's here... I would kill him now if that wouldn't set my goal back..."

"Master..."

"Eh...? Kill Galga, you mean...? Why?"

Tim looks at me, though his hood's still on, so I can't tell much more than that...

"...Where did you get that?"

"Huh? Get what?"

"The food."

"At a stand down the hall and to the right... But that doesn't answer my question—"

"Thanks!" He spins around and hurries off, Macaron in tow.

"Wha...?!"

"What was that about?" Arche questions.

"...We may not know until he's ready to tell us..." the steed points out. He finishes his hotdog and stands. "Well, looks like it's about time for us to explore the city... We just need Ami, Dhaos, and Suzu."

"You mean those three?" Arche looks past us—I turn to see Ami running towards us as Suzu and Dhaos walk.

"Where's Tim-san?" Ami asks as she gets close to us. "His match was amazing! He's so fast!"

"Chill out, he's getting food." I tell her as I stand; the girls stand as well. "So then, any idea where we want to go in the city?"

"I don't know, but now I'm hungry..."

I laugh. "All right, come on. Let's get you some food first." We walk to the food stands, where we see Tim waiting in line. "Come on, let's go hop in line with him."

"Wait, Chester-san. We'd be getting in front of all of those other people..."

"So?"

"We should just wait our turn."

Keh... Mint would insist on waiting. "All right, fine." We stand at the end of the line. Ami can't really see from here, though—she keeps trying to peek up at the sign, but people keep getting in front of her. Same for Suzu...

"Hey Mint, wanna help?" As she looks at me, I nod to Suzu. I then reach down and pick my sister up.

"Ah...! Onii-chan..."

I hold her up so she can see. "I don't wanna wait forever on you." Mint's picking up Suzu to help her.

"R-right!" She looks towards the menu and stares at it for a minute, deciding. "...Okay, I know what I want." I set her back down on the ground. "Thank you, Onii-chan!"

I pat her head. "No, thank _you_. Picking on you the past eleven years helped me beat Suzu, after all."

"Eh? ...Ehh?!"

I laugh. Heh heh... Ami's so fun to tease! I'd say I'm lucky for getting her as a younger sister!

Mint sets Suzu back down and we move up in line.

"Cless..." I hear Dhaos speak up behind us. Huh...? "During this break, we should probably find out about this man named Galga..."

"...Yeah, you're probably right..."

...As much as I hate to admit it, he _is_ right... It's too much of a coincidence that Sauound would look like Odin and Galga would look like Thor...

Well, we'll see what we can find when we explore the city!

**Chester gained the title of Kid Friendly. I know how to deal with kids! Pick them up, tease them, make fun of them...**

**Dhaos gained the title of Tree Protector. It is a title given to one who works for the alliance that protects the Giant Kharlan Tree.**

**Cless gained the title of Love Hypocrite. Don't preach to me about lying to myself until you stop lying to yourself!**


	67. Bowman the Bowshooter

**Sorry again for the long wait!**

**And... for it really being only side quests this chapter. Eh heh... whoops.**

**Anyway, I've added reader titles to the website... hope you guys don't mind. o.o'**

**Those of you who've played the Super Famicon version will probably recognize those costumes... and the names are the names Cless and the others originally had. ...I'll add a link to pictures of it to the links section of my website later.**

**Enjoy! And thank you, Rin, for helping me with colors!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Tales games. They're owned by Namco.**

**--Bowman the Bowshooter--**

We buy food for the rest of our party and then head out into the city. It's so bright out here...!

"Do you want to know where anything is?" Macaron speaks up.

"Nah, we have time to kill anyway..." Wait a sec... "Hey, Macaron, why aren't you eating anything?"

"I don't need to eat."

Huh?!

"Can all fairies go without food...?" my sister asks, surprised.

"No. But I'm—"

"Macaron," Tim interrupts.

"Ah, sorry, Master..."

"What's going on? Why'd you stop her?"

"There's no reason for me to tell a stupid mutt."

"I'm not a mutt!"

"Chester, Tim..." Keh, Cless always has to be so peaceful...

"Watch it, Chester—the more enemies you make, the more friends I have~!" Arche cheers. "Tim, let's make an alliance against Chester!"

"Okay. Macaron's in, too."

"Why is there an alliance against me?!"

"Because you're a jerk!" the little weasel answers. Keh...

"Fine then. Cless is on my side. Right, Cless?"

"All right."

"But we have Mint!" Arche quickly yells.

"Eh?!" Mint glances between Cless and Arche.

"And we have Ami!"

"We have Suzu!"

"We have—" Wait... "Oh no, I am _not_ taking Dhaos on my side!"

"I'd prefer to be on the other side anyway."

"Then we get Suzu!"

"Oh fine, be that way! Jerk!"

"Then excluding me, the teams are even," Macaron points out. "But isn't there still Klarth and Milard?"

Arche and I glare at each other. "First team to find them wins?" I suggest.

"You're on!"

"Macaron, give us a meeting place," Tim speaks up.

"The Euclid Park, east of the city's center. We'll meet at the fountain there in an hour."

"Right! Let's go!" I lead my group south. So now it's just me, Cless, Ami, and Suzu...

"This shouldn't be too hard, right? We have Onii-chan's keen senses and Suzu's ninja skills!" my sister points out happily.

"...One problem with that..."

"Eh?"

"The smells around here are too strong... There's no way I could pick out Dad's or Milard's scent in the city."

"Ah..."

"Then we're counting on you, Suzu!" Cless says.

"I'll do my best."

We walk around the city, looking around for them, with Suzu in the lead. I fall back next to Cless. "So, we need to ask around about Galga?"

"Yes... I'm guessing that's why Dhaos went to the opposite team."

"...I guess that was smart of him..." ...Wait, is it just me or...

I glance back. There's a lot of people going about their business. Right, this is a city... if anyone's going the same way as us, it'd be just out of coincidence.

"Something wrong, Chester."

"No, nothing." Still, I can't shake the feeling that we're being followed...

"...Let's ask that person about Galga." Cless leads the way over to someone who doesn't look too busy.

"Hey, kids, c'mon," I call out to the two ahead of us; they turn and we all follow Cless. I glance back at the crowd again. No one even looks interested in us... so why do I have that feeling?

"Excuse me," Cless says to the man. "I was wondering if you know anything about someone named Galga?"

"Eh? Who _doesn't_ know that name? Unless... You're not from another country, are you...?!" The man stares warily at us.

"N-no! We're just a little behind..."

"'A little behind'...? I'd say a lot behind!"

"Ah... excuse us..." We turn and leave the man alone. Well that didn't go well... We walk down an alley to get out of the crowd.

"So he's well-known..."

"If everyone's like him, it'll be hard to find out more about Galga and keep a low profile..."

"Then we should ask in a different manner," Suzu suggests.

"A different manner...?"

"Instead of asking who he is, we could ask what people think of him and claim it's for research."

"Hey yeah...! Cless and I could say it's for a research paper for school or something."

"Right. Good idea, Suzu!"

Wait, that smell...

"Chester?"

"Something smells good... but there are no restaurants around..."

"Are you _still_ hungry...?"

"N-no! I'm just curious..." Wait... "It's coming from... that large cube." What's something like that even doing out in an alleyway? It's a cube with nine squares on each side and different colors in a seemingly random order. I walk over to it and touch it—whoa...! There's a lot of smoke...

"Guess you found me! You're pretty good! I'm the Wonder Chef!"

...Eh? Now there's no cube, but a person instead...

"As a reward, I will teach you the delight of Euclid! Chicken Reef!" He hands me a sheet of paper. This is a recipe... "It requires chicken, sauce, rolls, cheese, and vegetables." He then hands me a bag of the ingredients. Erm... "Until we meet again!" He raises up his super-huge fork and vanishes in a poof of smoke.

"What... the..."

"I... guess we'll give those to Milard when we find her? Here—I'll take them for now..."

"Yeah..." I hand them over to the swordsman. "I think I'll stay away from odd objects that smell like food from now on..."

"But if another Wonder Chef shows up, we can learn more recipes," my sister points out.

"...That is... You know what, never mind. Let's just drop it for now. Let's go find someone and try out that idea—" I hear someone stifle a laugh. I glance around. I don't see anyone, but... there's _definitely_ someone following us. "All right, come out. I know you're there."

"Eh?!"

The person's not showing themselves... Let's see... ah, that crate! I walk over and poke my head around it. Bingo! There's a girl about our age here, crouched down so we wouldn't see her. She looks up at me, surprised. "Ah...!"

"Why are you following us?!" My friends hurry over to see.

"Because..." She stands up straight, brushing her dress off. "I need your help!"

"...Eh?"

"Please! Only you will do!"

"Ah... All right." I guess we might as well... she's pretty cute. "What do you need?"

"Yay~!" she cheers happily. "We need that girl on the broom, too!"

"You mean Arche?"

"Yep! You know her?"

"Yeah... She went this way." I lead the way towards where Arche's group went. What does she need me and Arche for...?

"What's your name?" I hear Cless ask.

"I'm Tessa! What about you?"

"I'm Cless. This is Suzu, this is Ami, and that's Chester, Ami's older brother."

"Ooh, you're an older brother?"

"Yeah."

"Wow! That's neat! I saw you and Suzu fight in the tournament—it was a really good match!"

"Thanks."

"Suzu, your dagger skills are amazing!"

"...I am a ninja."

"Eh? Really? Wow, I heard we have an alliance with the ninja, but I never thought I'd actually meet one...! Is it true that your village is impossible for outsiders to find?"

"Yes."

"Mizuho must be really cool...! I have a ninja village in my story!"

"Story...?"

"Yep! I'm a writer! I have a story I've just started writing... There are five main characters in it. They're fighting to save humanity from a mysterious evil!"

"A story... I'm sure it'll be really good once you're finished!" Cless says.

"Thanks! I'm going to try and make it the best story in Aselia!"

That pink hair is _definitely_ Arche... "Hey! Arche!" Her group turns around, and I beckon them over. Looking confused, they walk over.

"Ah, perfect...!" Tessa says happily. "Thank you!"

"What's going on...?" Arche asks.

"You're helping me!"

"Eh?"

"Tessa needs our help with something," I explain.

"Come on! This way!" the girl happily leads the way.

"But our competition..."

"We can get back to that. Let's just help her right now."

"Why do you want to help her so much, Chester...?"

...Because she's cute... "Come on." I follow her.

"Hey, Chester...!"

Tessa leads us to her house, and we all enter. "All right! Chester, you have the closet, Arche the storage room, Cless the bathroom, Suzu the pantry, and... um..." she looks up at Mint.

"Mint," the cleric offers kindly.

"Mint! You get the bedroom!"

"Huh?"

"There are clothes in there. Change into them!"

"Why...?"

"I told you, I'm writing a story. I've been trying to draw character art for the characters, but I just can't... So, I need models."

...We're... modeling...?!

"So hurry up and get changed!"

"Why...?"

A door opens—wait—"Milard?!"

"Ah, hello," Milard greets. "I guess Tessa found all of you for help as well?"

"Eh?"

"She practically begged Klarth to help her. He's getting changed."

Arche and I gape at each other. "So... who won?"

"Neither," Macaron speaks up. "Since you found Milard at the same time, it's a tie."

"...Figures..."

"Next time I'm beating you!"

"Yeah right. You're never going to win against me," I quip.

"Oh shut up! I will!"

"When I'm—ow!" Something hit me on the back of the head. I turn around—Tessa?!

"Stop arguing and get changed! I don't have all day!" She's pointing at a door.

Keh... Women sometimes...

I walk to the door and close it behind me. There's already an outfit in here... it must be the one she wants me to wear. I take my current clothes off and put those on. This is a strange outfit... All of the cloth is very loose, easy to maneuver in despite there being so much of it. Both the undershirt and the pants are brown, tucking into green gloves and tall brown boots, respectively. This shirt is a lot like my normal one, except in green with a yellow band around the outside. Plus I have shoulder guards with cyan cloth hanging from them and a metal guard over the left side of my chest. And to tie it all off, I have a crimson cape.

I walk out of the closet. Hey, it's Dad.

"Hey."

"Ah, Chester. How was your match?"

"I beat Suzu by picking her up."

"Eh?" Both Dad and Milard look confused.

"He picked her up and then fell forward, trapping her on the ground," Tessa explains eagerly.

"Well, congratulations, Chester."

"Thanks!"

Anyway, Dad's dressed up for this thing, too. His shirt's both loose and very long, a mint green in color with white around the edges. Over that is an extremely large scarlet jacket, with white around the sleeves and a large gold band around the inside. He's wearing a gold necklace with a star on it. His green hat's a lot smaller than his normal one, not going far past his head in any direction. There's a tassel hanging from it, too. His pants are a pewter color and hang down over his matching shoes.

"So you got pulled into this thing as well?" I joke.

"And it sounds like she got the rest of our group."

"Yeah, they're all changing." Right after I say that, Cless comes out.

"Hello, Cless."

"Hello, Klarth-san." Looks like Cless' shirt is the same style as mine. It's silver with blue around the outsides. It breaks off on his arms and continues up to his brown gloves. He has two brown belts, one for holding small bags. Over that is armor on his chest and shoulders. His undershirt and pants are a coffee color. His boots come up to almost his knees, with armor over them. And he, of course, has a cape, though it's more of a turquoise color now. Last but not least, he's still wearing his read headband.

"All right! Now we're just waiting for the girls!" Tessa cheers. Someone's excited...

The bedroom door opens and Mint comes out. "Tessa, can you help me with this...?" Oh, Mint has a golden sash over her right shoulder. Our host helps her get it on. The cleric's in a purple dress that goes down a little below her knees and has white lace around the top. She's wearing a blue jacket over it that has the same length and is outlined in white. Her sash tucks into a maroon belt. She has navy blue ribbons in her hair, one on each side of her head, and above them is a furry blue hat. The hat's white on the front with a cross emblem in the center. Her boots are small and brown, and in her ears are sapphire earrings.

Suzu comes out next. Her new outfit is pink... Anyway, same general style for the shirt and pants as her normal clothes, but her sleeves don't go far past her shoulders. She has a bright yellow ribbon for a belt, which—ah, Tessa's fixing it so it ties in front in a huge bow. Under her shirt is chain mail—the sleeves of it come down a little further than the shirt sleeves. She has intricate arm and leg guards, going up to her elbows and knees respectively. All of them have the design of a dragon on them...

"That looks good on you, Suzu-chan," Mint compliments.

"Thank you."

"Wow! You look so cool! And I love the designs on the guard..." my sister says.

The last one comes out—Arche. Oh geez... where to start? Well, her dress is white, going down a little past her knees. She has two layers over that—the first is green and stops just before the end of the dress, and the second is blue and doesn't go down far past her hips; both have a gold outline. She has a black shirt on under the dress, with long sleeves to show it, going right into her brown gloves. She has a brown bag that hangs over her right shoulder down to her left side. Her small cape is aqua, gathering in a button in front of her left shoulder. A large blue ribbon holds her hair up in a ponytail, and she has aqua earrings. She's also wearing black hose and small brown boots.

"All right!" Tessa says happily. "Time to get pictures of you guys! Cless, you'll start... Just do various poses with your sword! Oh, and do them right there!"

"Right." Cless walks to where she indicates and pulls out his sword. He poses for the girl, who picks up a camera and starts taking pictures. "...If I may ask..."

"Hm?"

"Can you tell me some about the characters we're posing as?"

"All right. You're Masakinne the Swordfighter."

"'Swordfighter'?" I question. "Why not swordsman?"

"That's too plain! Where's your sense of art?!" the writer demands.

I sigh. "Fine, whatever. Continue."

"Masakinne the _Swordfighter_ is the main character. His hometown was destroyed because of some artifact he managed to get away with. He's very easygoing, but he has a good sense of justice. He's also a really good fighter—he's trained with the sword ever since he was little! Naturally, he's going to get the most heroic battles in the story. I know he'll have to fight some on his own, unlike the others. Oh, and he's also very kind—I'm hoping he'll be popular! Thank you, Cless!" Well, she's finished taking pictures of him. Mint steps up next.

"Next up is Temple the Clergy!" the girl continues. "She's the main girl—she and Masakinne are going to fall in love. They first meet in a prison, where they were left to die after being captured by the enemy. Temple's also very kind, and she helps people with her healing powers. She has absolutely no attack powers, though... Anyway, I can't wait to start writing sweet moments between her and Masakinne! However..." She beckons the witch out, and Mint walks over to the rest of us to watch. "First, there's a love triangle.

"Merlin the Magician also likes Masakinne, though her's is more of an infatuation. Merlin's actually from the past—strange, I know—but she's a half elf, so she'll live long enough to see her friends again." Actually, it's not really that strange, considering what we've been through... "After I saw you flying, I thought it'd be neat if Merlin flew on a broom, too, so I think I'm going to add that. She joins the party when she hears that they need a magician. She's carefree, but she's also pretty smart. And eventually I'll get rid of the love triangle, as she'll fall in love with..."—oh, my turn—"Bowman the Bowshooter."

"...Bowman...?!"

"Yeah. Now hurry up and pose!"

"What kind of name is 'Bowman'?!"

"It's art!"

"It's uncreative!" Ah, now she's glaring at me...

"Bowman's a good name, and it's staying! Before long, everyone in Thor will know the name Bowman!"

"Yeah, as a joke!"

Tim's cracking up. "I'm _so_ changing your title to that!"

I glare at him. "Don't you _dare_—ow!" Tessa threw an eraser at me...

"Next time it'll be a pencil—and a sharp one! Now hurry up and start posing!"

Keh... fine. I get my bow ready and pose for her.

"Bowman is Masakinne's best friend. He's not able to join the group at first, though, because he almost died buying them time. He's in it for revenge—his only family was killed when his and Masakinne's home village was destroyed. And to be honest, I don't think I could've found anyone better for Bowman than Chester—both are sarcastic and rude," she says, sounding annoyed. "But Bowman has a good heart... and he's a good best friend-type character.

"And the last member of the party..." Oh, she's done with me. I switch with Dad. "Ryokuo the Summoner. He's the oldest... I haven't decided exactly how old he is, but I'm thinking somewhere between age twenty-five and thirty-five. You've heard of the great spirits, right? Undine, Sylph, Gnome, all of those? Ryokuo will make pacts with some creatures like those and be able to summon them at will!"

"Is that so..." Haha, funny that she'd grab Dad for that part!

"Yeah! Pretty neat, huh? Oh, and he's a researcher! He's the smartest of the group, though also kinda skeptical... He doesn't want to join at first because their story sounds so far-fetched. Should lead for an amusing scene with him and his wife! Though I don't think I want him to be too serious—that's just boring. Old men can be fun too, right?"

I laugh.

"It's... not that old..."

"Right. Thank you!" The summoner joins the rest of us.

"So if Klarth-san was the last of the party, what about Suzu...?"

"I'm getting to that. If you'll pose now, Suzu... Anyway, while there are five main party members, there are also other important characters. One would be a young ninja girl that helps them in the later part of the story. I don't actually have a name for her yet... She's fighting because some ninja are being used by the big bad guy, and she wants to stop it. She's been trained to hide and work alone like I hear ninja usually do, so that's why she never joins the party. I'm thinking it'd be neat if she helps for a few big battles, though... I'm growing kinda attached to her, even without a name for her yet." Tessa sets the camera down and smiles at us. "Thank you everyone! These pictures should do quite nicely! As a token of my appreciation, you can keep the clothes!"

"Thanks!" We go back and get changed into our regular clothes. When we come back out into the living room, she has the TV on. Oh, they're showing the tournament...

"Sorry to keep you here so long! You might want to hurry back—I think Cless' fight is in just a few more rounds.

"Right. Let's go." Milard takes up our outfits and puts them in the pack.

"One more thing," Dhaos speaks up before we can get too far. "Do you know anything about someone named Galga?"

Oh right...!

"Hm? Oh right, Chester and the others were asking about him, right? Seriously, who doesn't know Galga?"

"Yeah, yeah, just go ahead and tell us who he is? We posed for you, after all," I point out.

"I know. The Galga family is the royal family..."

...Eh?!

"You look surprised."

"W-well the one we met just seemed so casual..."

"The Galgas are all pretty neat... I'm glad we have them as rulers!"

So the Galga we met is part of the royal family... and he looks like Thor. Just like Sauound being part of the royal family of Odin and looking like the god...

"Well, hurry up before you're late! If you have anything else to ask me, stop by later!"

"Right. Thank you, Tessa!" Cless leads the way out, an the rest of us follow. We run—it's all the way on the opposite side of the city from Tessa's house...

We arrive at the tournament place and hurry into the combatant room. There's a worker standing at the door...

"Cless?"

"Yes, that's me."

"It's almost time for your match."

"Right."

"Good luck, Cless."

"Do your best."

"Kick their butts, Cless!"

"Thank you!" The swordsman smiles at us before following the man towards the arena. Well, time to get back to fighting now!

**Learned the recipe for Chicken Reef.**

**Chester gained the title of Chef Sniffer. It is a title given to one who can sniff out Wonder Chefs.**

**Cless gained the title of Masakinne the Swordfighter. The hero of justice has come, slaying his foes... It is a costume title reserved for a swordsman hero.**

**Mint gained the title of Temple the Clergy. She will heal those who needed it, both body and soul... It is a costume title reserved for a cleric hero.**

**Arche gained the title of Merlin the Magician. The magic of the elves flows through a carefree body... It is a costume title reserved for a magical hero.**

**Chester gained the title of Bowman the Bowshooter. A man out for revenge, hunting down his foe... It is a costume title reserved for an archer hero.**

**Klarth gained the title of Ryokuo the Summoner. Calling ancient spirits forth to save the world is one man... It is a costume title reserved for a summoner hero.**

**Suzu gained the title of Little Kunoichi. A girl standing alone, fighting alone, with the weight of her people on her shoulders... It is a costume title reserved for a ninja hero.**


	68. Easy Target

**I got it done in less than a month this time! ...Okay, so that's not really an accomplishment.**

**Sorry for the short chapter! ...It was a lovely place to end a chapter.**

**Well, I hope you enjoy it!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Tales games. They're owned by Namco.**

**--Easy Target--**

We head up to the stands and find our seat, leaving Mint behind since her battle's after Cless'. "Welcome back," the Galga greets as we sit down in front of him again. "How was your break?"

"Interesting... How are the fights?"

"Very interesting! Good job on your fight, little one," he says to my sister.

"Ah... I haven't gone yet..."

"Really? Do you have a twin or something, then?"

"Something like that..." Dad speaks up. "And you are...?"

"Oh right. Name's Galga."

"May I ask your first name, your majesty?"

The king or prince or whatever laughs. "Curtis. I'm still just a prince."

Curtis... Come to think of it, didn't Sauound mention that name? _"We now fight each other... Merilynn, Kalinthra, Curtis, and me... Only one of us will survive in the end. Whose side are you on?"_ Merilynn, Sauound, and Kalinthra I know I met as kids... so then... "You're that little redheaded prince..."

"Hm?" He stares at me. He blinks. "I thought you looked familiar... Oh, I know! Are you related to that weird teleporting guy?"

Weird teleporting guy...?! "I'm not weird!"

"You seem pretty weird to me," Tim speaks up.

"You're the one wearing a huge black cloak in broad daylight!"

"Wait, but you couldn't be that guy... You're the same age as him..."

I sigh. "I don't know the details, but somehow I got pulled back to that time period... It's crazy."

"Hm... I wonder if you used Cust somehow..."

Cust... That's the name of the space-time machine...!

"Cust...?" Milard asks.

"Ah, nothing. Just thinking out loud. So then this is the time you're from?"

"Yeah..." Huge lie, but it doesn't matter.

"Interesting... Heh, it must be neat to go back in time... And even neater to go see what the future's like!"

"That would be interesting indeed..." Dad speaks up.

"...The Predator, Cless!" I look down as Cless steps into the ring. His opponent looks to be a ninja...

"Good luck, Cless-san! You can do it!"

"Smash his face in the ground, Cless!"

"Violent, aren't we?" I mutter to the witch.

"Oh shut up!" Heh, she's so much fun to pick on.

"And... start!"

"Demon Fang!" Cless sends a blast at his foe—who jumps over it. They charge at each other, and sword and dagger lock. The ninja kicks, throwing my friend back. He slashes—hitting Cless...!

"Cless-san!"

He swings his sword up at his opponent—keh, he flips back out of the way. "Rising Phoenix!" The ninja jumps out of the way of this attack as well... He's faster than Cless...!

The ninja charges in again—Cless barely gets his left arm up in time—"Hey, Cless, be careful...!"

"Come on, Cless! You can beat him!"

"Cless-san, do your best!"

"Taishi's _so_ got him beat," Tim mutters. I glare at the kid.

"Hey now, don't underestimate Cless."

"He can't even _hit_ Taishi."

"He can...! He's Cless-san...!" Ami speaks up, worried.

"He can be defeated," Dhaos points out. "No one is invincible."

"But Cless-san... He's really strong, and..."

"He's mortal. He can make mistakes, he can lose... The sooner you let go of your ideal fantasies, the easier real life will be on you."

"But..." Ami stares at the ground, sad.

"Hey, Dhaos—"

"What? It's the truth, isn't it? If you really care about your sister, then you shouldn't keep her so blind to the real world." He stands. "I'm going inside." And he walks off. Keh... I hate him...!

"Ami, don't worry about what that jerk said. Cless _will_ win!" Even if it's just to rub it in Dhaos' face!

"Mm..."

"Ah, look!" Arche speaks up.

"That move..." Dad says as well. My sister and I look to see Cless holding his sword up.

"Lunge!" He vanishes from where he's standing and appears right in front of the ninja—he strikes the ninja hard and then disappears, re-emerging where he originally stood again.

"All right! Nice one, Cless!"

"That's the way to do it! Now finish the job!"

The ninja charges at him—"Aegis Strike!" Cless thrusts his sword into the ground, and the ninja hits a barrier. Nice...! Cless quickly grabs his sword again as the barrier fades. "Beast Swallow Kick!" The ninja falls to the ground, not getting up. The announcer starts the ten count!

"Wow, I've never seen moves like those before! He'd make a good knight!" Curtis speaks up from behind us.

"Nine, and ten! The winner is Cless!"

"All right!"

"Great job Cless!"

"He did it... Cless-san won...!" I glance over at my sister. "I'm going to go see him...!" She gets up and runs off. Geez... I stand and follow her, at a walk. I walk into the halls of the coliseum. She must've gone to the participant room... I walk that way. I open the door just as Cless walks in from the other side, healed. Wait, where's Ami...?

"Chester...!"

"Hey Cless. Good job on your match."

"Thank you. Mint's up next... Come on, we should hurry before we miss too much..." Heh, he's worried about her...

"Go on ahead. I'll catch up."

"All right." Cless hurries off.

...Now then, where's Ami...? Keh, this is probably because of that stupid Dhaos... I hate him. I walk out of that room and sniff the air. No good... there have been too many people walking around here. Well, I guess I'm going to have to do this the old fashioned way. I start walking, looking around for her. I can probably ask those people over there... I walk over to them. "Excuse me. Have you seen a girl, about twelve, with blue hair and pigtails wandering around here?"

"Ah... yes... She went that way." The woman points. "Are you her brother...?"

"Yeah. Thanks!" I quickly walk in that direction. It leads out a back door, into a dark alley...

Ah, there she is...! "Hey, Ami...!" I run over to her. "Why'd you come out here? Come on, you shouldn't listen to a jerk like—ah...!" Ow...! She hit me... with her hammer...?! Wait—ack! I hold my arms up as it comes again—she throws me back, against a wall. Dammit, that's the Destroyer...! This is bad... It raises the hammer up and swings down—I jump out of the way. I pull out my bow and notch an arrow in it, taking aim. "All right, this is it...! Dragon Slayer!" All right, it's going to hit—ah...! She hits the arrow and blast back—ow...! Oh no, I dropped my bow...! Where is it—there—

It's standing over my bow...! The thing swings the hammer down—no... My bow is... Dammit all...! I'm gonna kill it...!

My body shifts into the shape of a wolf and I charge at the thing. It swings—ow! Keh, I almost had it...!

"Burning Hammer!"

"Pyre!" Hammer and dagger hit the thing and flames rise up around it. Ami and Suzu run in next to me.

"Onii-chan!"

"Chester, are you all right?"

Heh, who ever thought I'd be saved by a couple of kids...? Well, time to own this thing...! I leap in again—I tackle it—and bite.

What the—it's unfazed?! It hits me in the side—ow—not again...! Keh...!

The Destroyer advances on the kids. No...!

"Suzu-chan!"

"Right!"

"Spinning Punishment—"

"Ah...!" It hits Suzu as she comes down on it... It then hits my sister...! Ami...! Suzu...!

Oh that's it...! This thing's going down...! I charge at it—it jumps up and then comes down, hitting the ground—ah...!

"Onii-chan...!"

"Air Thrust...!" A spell...! We look over to see who's helping us. Dhaos...?! He glances at the three of us, his eyes landing on my sister. "Ami, use Pow Hammer."

"R-right...!" She holds her hammer up. "We won't lose...!"

Dhaos charges up...

"Mjollnir...!" The hammer hits our enemy at the same time as a blast of lightning. It sparks—that must be the machine part of it...! It turns and runs off—hey, get back here...!

"Don't chase it," Dhaos speaks up. I pause and glare back at him. "You're in no shape to fight it alone."

Keh... I hate it when he's right... My body shifts back to a human. I walk over to my broken bow. "Dammit..."

"Onii-chan... Your bow..."

"Yeah... Looks like I'll have to go to the weapon shop and get another."

"I'll come with you!"

"Me too," Suzu speaks up.

Dhaos silently turns away.

"Dhaos-san...?"

"My match is coming up soon." He starts walking away. Why is he always so cold...?!

"Ah... Thank you for helping us...!" My sister calls after him. He says nothing; he walks inside.

"Sometimes I wonder why he even bothers traveling with us..." I mutter.

"Because we're all friends, right?"

"No!"

"Chester... Whether or not you want to admit it, he's part of the team now," the sparrow says. "The nine of us are a team against the gods." A team...

"Come on, let's hurry and get Onii-chan a bow before we miss too much!" Ami grabs my hand and starts leading the way. Heh... I walk with her, and Suzu falls in line with us.

"Hey, Ami, why didn't you go see Cless?"

She's not answering...

"Ami?"

"Ah, look, there's a weapon shop!" She lets go of my hand and takes off running. Geez... Suzu and I continue walking.

"Do you know, Suzu?"

"...Because she's scared to accept the truth that maybe the people she knows won't always be there."

"You've already accepted that..." I observe.

"Of course. I'm a ninja."

"That doesn't mean you don't have feelings..." I sigh.

"She's scared..."

"Yeah... I know..." We reach the weapon shop and enter. My sister's already looking at the bows.

She holds one up. "How's this one, Onii-chan?"

Hm? I grab it and test it. Wow, this one's better than my previous bow...! And it's the same style I usually use...! "Nice choice, Ami!"

"Thanks! I always watch what bows you use, Onii-chan!"

Really...? I never knew she could tell the difference... I take it over to the counter.

"Here..." Suzu hands me some gald.

"Thanks." I use that to pay for the bow, and we walk out of the weapon shop. We walk back towards the tournament building in silence. Ami... She was scared when I was traveling alone, too. I guess traveling with all of us, she must've thought it can never end...

There's a park over there... "Hey, let's go sit down." I lead the girls over to a bench, and they sit down on either side of me. I lean back. "This feels nice..."

"Onii-chan..."

I look down at my kid sister, but she doesn't say anything else. "...Hey, Ami..." She looks up at me. "You remember what I promised you, don't you?"

"Huh?"

"I'm not going down 'til I at least get to beat up your first boyfriend!"

"Ah... Onii-chan!"

I laugh. "Don't listen to that stupid jerk Dhaos, okay? None of us are dying, and that's final. We're going to beat those stupid gods, right?"

"We've come this far... We're not about to lose. A ninja can never lose."

"Ah... Right!" My sister smiles. "We're going to beat them together!"

"Yeah. And you better show me what you've got in this tournament, or I might make you go home."

"Onii-chan...!"

I laugh again. She's so gullible...!

"Ah... Y-you're making fun of me...!"

"Chester... Are you always this mean to your sister?"

"Oh I'm not _mean_..."

"You're not nice to her."

"See? Suzu-chan agrees with me!"

"I only pick on you a little..."

"That's being mean!" my sister complains.

"All right... If you want me to be mean, then..." I stand, picking Ami up as I do. I sling her over my shoulder. "Where should I dump you...? A garbage can...?"

"Ah...! Onii-chan! Put me down...!"

"I will... once I find a good place..." I start walking, just to scare her. The ninja follows.

"No...! Onii-chan...!"

"You wanted me to be mean."

"N-no I didn't! Now put me down...!"

Ahh, she is _so_ much fun... Heh heh... I set her down. "All right, happy?"

"Meanie..."

"Yeah, yeah... C'mon, I don't wanna miss Dhaos' ass being handed to him." I lead the way back, and the kids follow me.

"Onii-chan, htat's not a very nice thing to say. Dhaos-san helped us against the Destroyer!"

"And he's part of the group."

"So...?! And why are _both_ of you sticking up for him?!"

"He's part of our group. Group Syukuzen," Suzu points out. Keh...

I sigh. "Whatever... Let's just get back." I still want to see him get beat. I wish I could beat him up myself!

We enter the tournament building and walk back to the stands. And, back to the loud crowd... Good hearing kinda sucks in a place like this...

"And the winner is Dhaos!"

...And he won... Figures... Well, I'll definitely win more matches than him! The sparrow leads the way over to where are friends are—eh? Ami's grabbed my hand and stopped walking... I turn to face her.

"Onii-chan... Thank you." She lets go and hurries past me, after Suzu.

...Heh... "For what? Not dumping you in the garbage? I took pity on you," I tease as I follow her.

"Stop being mean...!" She sits down, annoyed, and I sit next to her, laughing.

"Welcome back," Cless speaks up.

"Thank you, Cless-san!"

"Is everything all right...?" the meerkat questions. "You were gone for a while."

"Yep! No need to worry!"

"Is that a new bow...?" my best friend observes, holding out a hand questioningly. I take it off and hand it to him so he can see.

"Yeah... We, uh, found the Destroyer... and it's living up to its name."

"Eh?!"

"So we had to get a new bow for Onii-chan! I picked it out!"

"Wow... You did a good job, Ami!" He smiles at her as he hands it back to me, and I sling it back over my shoulder. ...He's so dense...

"T-thank you...!" Oh geez...

"Great, now I'm never going to hear the end of this..." I mutter.

"Hear the end of what...?"

"Never mind. Keep being dense."

"What do you mean...?" He just doesn't get it...

"Does Ami-chan..." Mint trails off, glancing between Ami and Cless. Oops...

"Looks like it!" the tactless witch says happily. She then whispers to Mint, "That means you have a rival in love~!"

"E-eh?!"

"Hey, Arche, be nice to Mint."

"I wonder, who's more dense: Chester or Cless."

"I'm not dense!"

"Eh...?!"

Arche laughs. "Ahh, that's definitely a tough one~!"

"Why you...!"

Dad chuckles. "Ahh... It's nice to be young..."

**Dhaos gained the title of Cold Savior. It is a title given to a cold man who saves the day.**

**Chester gained the title of Easy Target. Hey, there's Ami—wait, that's not Ami...!**

**Suzu gained the title of Group Helper. I will help the people I work with... so we may accomplish the best results.**


	69. Terrible Canine

**Almost forgot announcements! (Aren't you glad I remembered?). Again, sorry for the late update...**

**I've posted Aselian Uno up on my website! I hope you enjoy it! I also added some skits that happen at random... please tell me if they happen too much. And I hope you like them!**

**Well, please enjoy the chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Tales games. They're owned by Namco. And Namco's awesome for it. Fact.**

**--Terrible Canine--**

"Well then, I should be going. My match is coming up soon," Milard speaks up.

"Ah right, mine is right after yours, isn't it?" Dad points out. "I'll go with you."

"Thank you. When's your match, Ami-chan?"

"Um, it's second to last... after some people named Karol and Nash."

"So looks like I'll be fighting again not long after you..." I mutter. "Against Natalia... I wonder where she is now..."

"After Tim's next match is another big break, right? We should do something fun then!" suggests the witch.

"Agreed. Well, we're going now."

"Right. Good luck!"

"Kick some ass!"

"Do your best!"

Dad and Milard head down to the tournament room. And here comes Dhaos... he takes a seat with our group.

"So how are you guys enjoying the tournament?" Curtis asks, leaning back in his seat and making himself quite comfortable.

"It's very exciting," Cless says, smiling.

"Glad you think so. We've been doing this thing for years. I only wish I could still join in..."

"You can't?"

"Nope. Dad said it wasn't interesting if I won every year, so he banned me from entering. I guess I'll just have to wait for the war to come back over this way before I can have some fun... Though I must say, I kinda like your group. You guys are different—for once it's exciting to watch!"

"Uh... thanks..." I mutter. What do you say to _that_...?

"You've yet to see all I'm capable of," Tim says egotistically.

"Watch it; it's not good for kids your age to have such a high ego!" I tease.

"Oh shut up!"

"So what's going on with the war exactly...?" Cless asks.

"Hm? Don't you know?"

"These guys are weirdoes who don't know anything," Tim speaks up.

"At least we're not wearing a huge cloak. How are you not sweating in that thing?"

"I'm just not!"

Curtis chuckles. "You guys sure are lively. Anyway, Fenrir and Odin had a treaty a little while ago... but that alliance completely crashed. Now they hate each other more than ever. They've been fighting over the Valhalla Plains for a while now."

"Valhalla..." That's about where we chased those Fenrir knights to... There didn't seem to be many people living out there, I guess because of the war.

"It sure does make things nice for us. Means we can advance on our magitech." I hear some bad singing or something now... It hurts my ears a little...

"Neither Odin nor Fenrir will like that..." Cless points out.

"Yeah, I know... But once we control Yggdrasil's mana, this war will be over. We just have to buy our time 'til then!"

Control Yggdrasil's mana...? _"There may not be much more time for Yggdrasil..."_ No, that's not true... Yggdrasil's still here in our time. So it'll work out somehow.

"I think we have nothing to worry about here in Thor. Only danger we may have is Samiel, and with just a little more research, we won't have to worry about that, either."

"Samiel?"

"You know, Samiel? The comet that's near Aselia? Haven't you watched the news?"

"Eh?!"

"Wow, you really _are_ behind. Well, we're keeping a close eye on the comet. Chances are it won't hit Aselia at all. Anyway, I was saying that soon we'll be good enough that even a comet won't be able to hurt us."

"Wow..." Ami's quite amazed.

"Heh heh... Our technology's advancing quite nicely! You know, Prince Sauound of Odin's really smart... Too bad his brains are being wasted in that violent country!"

"But... magitech is..." I hear Tim mutter...

"...Milard!"

Eh...? Milard's up already...? Uh-oh... She's up against someone twice her size, in height and muscles.

"And let the battle... begin!"

The meerkat starts drawing runes in the air as her opponent taunts her. I can barely make out what he's saying...

"What, I'm up against a little woman now? How..." I can't hear what he's saying there... "Well, make sure I don't hurt you too bad! I'd hate to ruin that pretty face of yours!"

"Hm... runes? Interesting... I thought only Fenrir used runes nowadays..." I hear Curtis mutter.

"What are you drawing?" Milard's opponent keeps taunting. "A pretty picture? Hope you don't mind if I... smash it...!" He starts charging at her. Finish quickly, Milard...!

The runes shine brightly. "Nightmare!" The runes charge at the man and enter him; he shines for a second before falling down. That move puts people to sleep, right? Heh, very nice...!

"W-well, looks like Goroza fell in just one hit... I'll count to ten now. One! Two!" The announcer continues counting.

"Go Milard! Girl power!" the witch cheers.

"Yeah... she sure did better than you!" I tease.

"Oh shut up!"

"And ten! The winner is Milard!" Milard walks off of the stage, and Dad trades places with her.

"Next up... We have on the east side, the Hat Hair, Klarth...!"

What on Aselia...? Seriously, who came _up_ with these titles...?!

"And on the west side, the crimson wizard, Henry...!" And his opponent steps up as well.

"You better not lose, old man!"

"Beat him up, Klarth-sensei!"

"Start!"

Both fighters start charging up... Keh, I hate these magic battles... It's all a matter of who starts first, right? And if Dad doesn't get the first blow... Well, he can't fly like Arche can... And his summons take _way_ too long...

"I summon thee... Come, Mieu!"

O...kay... that didn't take long at all...

"FIRE! Aaattack!" Mieu hits the other wizard. By the time's Mieu's done, Dad's already charging up again. All right, he has the upper hand now! The other mage starts trying to charge up anyway.

"I summon thee..."

"Fire Ball!"

Ack... So much for that lead. They both start charging up again...

"I summon thee..."

"Come, raging inferno..."

"Luna!"

"Explode!"

Luna comes out, and magic explodes all around the arena. That's...

"Klarth-san, be careful...!"

"Don't you dare lose!"

The smoke clears away and we see both charging up again...

"Maelstrom!"

"Gremlin's Lair!" As water throws Dad back, gremlins jump out of a green light and attack the mage. He falls, a group of gremlins piled on top of him.

"And Henry is down! One! Two! Three!"

The gremlins disappear...! Keh... and the other mage gets up. But Dad's already charging up...

"Come, Gremlin's Lair!" ...And back to the gremlin-pile. Heh, that looks kinda funny, actually... The gremlin's start pulling the guy's hair and playing on his back as the announcer counts down.

"Nine! And ten! The winner is Klarth!"

The little demons disappear into Dad's pact ring again, and he walks out of the arena.

"Heh, that was so cool!" Ami says.

"How long 'til your battle?" I ask her.

"Um... I don't know."

"Don't miss it."

"I won't! I'll go see how close it is now!" My sister gets up and starts running back inside.

"Don't trip!" She doesn't do anything to show that she hears me.

"I can go with her," Cless offers. "I've been sitting far too long."

"Just make sure she doesn't get herself in any trouble..."

"Right." The swordsman starts walking away.

"I'll come with you...!" And Mint quickly catches up with him. Hm... It could be amusing to see what happens... I glance back at the battle. Two knights are fighting, both with swords... Huh... I wonder if what Cless _really_ wanted to do when he got up is train...

Tim suddenly stands and walks off without a word, with Macaron following behind him. He looks kinda serious from what I can tell... Where's he going...? The others in my group and I glance at each other, wondering. Arche and I curiously get up and start to follow. As we reach the door, Arche turns back. "Hey, Suzu, Dhaos, you coming?" Suzu I don't mind, but why bother inviting _him_...?

The snake considers for a minute. Don't come, don't come...

"...All right." He stands and follows us. _Why_...?

"I'll come as well."

"All right! Let's go!" Arche hops on her broom and leads our group of four after Tim. "Chester, you're in charge of sniffing out the way."

"I'm not some dog!"

"Well technically..."

"Keh...! Fine, but only because I'm curious!" I change into my wolf form. I can pick up Tim's scent... I think I'm getting better at this scent thing. Let's see... I think he turned right here... and left here... Through those doors... and another right...

"What on Aselia are you four _doing_...?" Ack, that sounds like...

I look up to see Milard standing right in front of me. Behind her is Dad.

"Hey, Milard, did Tim pass by here?" Arche asks.

"No. Why?"

Ack...

"Chester! Just where were you leading us?!"

Okay, need to change to human now... There we go, I'm back! "Oh shut it! I'd like to see you do better!"

"I'm sure I could! You're a terrible canine!"

"At least I'm not a weasel!"

"You jerkface!"

"You ditz!"

"All right, settle down—"

"Ow! H-hey, Dad...!" He grabbed my shoulder with his pact rings on...!

"Oops. Sorry about that."

"Why are you looking for Tim?" The meerkat asks.

"He walked off all weird-like." Why is Arche explaining for us...?

"'Weird-like'...?" I ask.

"Oh shut up! Do you have any better word?!"

"Serious, maybe?"

"I'm not sure if that's quite right..."

"He did seem out of the ordinary," Suzu pipes up.

"Hm..."

"Undarlig..." Dhaos mutters.

"Huh?"

"It's an Ancient Angelic word that covers his behavior quite nicely. The closest word I can think of to its meaning is 'strange'."

Ancient Angelic... Under... whatever. No way I'm going to be able to remember that world.

"See, Chester?! So leave me alone already!"

"Well your use of vocabulary sucks. Maybe now that you can read, you should try reading a dictionary again."

"Why you..." Uh-oh, she's charging up...!

"H-hey, Arche...! There's no need for that...!"

"_Cyclone_...!" Ack! That hurts...!

"Ow...!" The spell dies down... Whew...

"Heal."

"Thanks, Milard."

"I'm going back to the stands," Dhaos says as he turns and starts walking.

"Agreed. We can ask Tim where he went later," the rune caster agrees.

"But..."

"It's not like you're going to find him now."

"Oh... Fine..." The witch gives up, and we all go back to the stands. The crowd's cheering really loudly... It kinda hurts my ears... I pause before entering.

"Hey, Chester, what's up?" Arche asks as the others go in.

"I'm gonna wait for the crowd to die down."

"Why? Is it too loud?"

"Yeah..."

"Can't you control your senses some?"

"All I know how to do is make them better."

"Then cover your ears!"

I put my hands on my ears to try it... "Doesn't help much."

Arche walks over to me and puts her hands over mine. Ah... "How about now?"

N-now...? That she's... What... should I say...? I...

"Hm? Can you not hear me now?"

"I-I can...!"

"Can you hear the crowd?"

"N-no..." Oh right, that's the reason...

We keep standing here... It feels like it's been a while... Can the crowd really cheer that long...?

"Okay, they're done now." She takes her hands away, and I let mine drop as well. "Chester... Why're you all red?"

"I-I'm not...!"

"You are... Hey Cless, Mint, don't you think Chester's red?"

Eh?! Cless and Mint...?! I spin around to see them walking up.

"Hm? Chester _is_ a little red..." The swordsman says. "Are you all right? You're not sick, are you?"

"I'm fine...!"

"Well, let's go in! Come on, Mint!" The half elf grabs Mint's hand and leads the way in. Keh... I follow, and Cless brings up the rear.

"So what are you guys doing back already?" I ask my best friend.

"We promised Ami that we'd watch her match. She's after this one."

"So soon...? Think she'll be all right...?"

"I'm sure she'll be fine. She's grown very strong!"

"Yeah..." We sit down in the stands with the rest of our group, minus Tim still. Let's see, what's going on now... Huh?

One of the combatants... is a kid... He can't be more than twelve, and his hammer is huge...! That reminds me... didn't Presea wield a large ax? ...What is it with kids and obnoxiously huge weapons, anyway?

Both seem to be doing pretty bad... They strike at each other and then both fall back. The kid recovers faster—he strikes again, and hits his opponent square in the jaw; the man goes flying. He falls to the ground and lays there for the full ten count.

"The winner of this round is Karol!" The kid happily hurries off the stage, and my sister walks up to it. She looks kinda nervous...

"Second to last match of the first round! The Cute Child, Ami! Versus, the Piercing Wind, Kunzo!"

"You can do it, Ami!"

"Show him what you're made of!"

"If you lose this match, I'll never let you live it down!"

"Chester..."

"And... start!"

Ami charges at her opponent, her hammer raised. Geez her attack's obvious... She swings down and the guy—Ku-whatever—easily jumps out of the way. She tries to attack him again—and again, he moves out of the way. She's still trying the same tactic... and he's just playing around... This is embarrassing...

He kicks her in the back—hard—and she falls to the ground. She tries to pick herself back up—he kicks her again...!

"Ami..."

"Ami-chan..."

She picks herself back up. "Duel Punishment...!" She starts spinning around. Her opponent jumps back as she makes herself dizzy. When she stops spinning, she sways a little...

He charges in and kicks her again. Ami...!

"Ah... Coil...! Dragon Surge...!" She hits him in the jaw and sends him up into the air. All right...! He's falling to the ground—he puts his hand on the ground and flips to his feet. Keh...

He throws shurikens at her. She holds her arms up to protect her vitals. Well she at least has some sense...

"Toss Hammer!" A small green hammer hits him, and the guy looks a little sick... but he keeps attacking Ami. She's thrown onto the defensive as he attacks with rapid blows. "D-Duel Punishment...!" She manages to hit him with that this time! And she doesn't get as dizzy... "Soaring Blast!" He dodges, but the shockwave from the attack hits him. He looks even worse...

He charges at her again...! This time he's using his knife and slashing at Ami. She holds her arms up to protect herself. She can't attack like that...!

Suddenly he looks like he's going to throw up... He drops his dagger and falls to the ground. Eh...?

"Kunzo is down! One! Two! Three!"

"What... happened...?" I ask.

"She poisoned him!" Arche cheers.

"Yes... Ami-chan's Toss Hammer made him sick," Milard explains. "He couldn't take it anymore."

...I don't even know what to say to that... I want to make fun of that somehow, but... Okay, well, somehow I don't think she thought that out, so she hasn't beaten me in planning ahead yet. And she beat him with a tiny green hammer...?!

"And ten! The winner is Ami!"

"I... I did it! Yay~!" Ami jumps up, excited. Heh...

"Well, time for me to go down," I say as I stand. I'll be fighting Natalia soon...

"Right. Good luck!"

"Do your best, Chester!"

"Beat her down!"

"I can't beat her _too_ hard if I wanna get a date with her!"

"Who would want to date you?" Arche quips.

"You're one to talk. The only type of boyfriend you'll ever get is a crazy one. A sane person would never date you."

"You jerk...! I've been on dates with Zelos and Klarth-sensei!"

Milard turns to Dad. "You went on a date with Arche-chan...?"

"That... is a long story that I'd rather not discuss."

"I have time."

"Both of them are crazy," I tell Arche.

"Thank you _so much_ for the support, Chester," Dad says sarcastically.

"Of course."

"Though you do realize you're also calling yourself crazy."

"How so?!"

"I think it's safest if I stop there."

"You're crazy 'cause you went on a date with Fenrir!" the witch speaks up.

"I didn't know she was an enemy back then...!"

"Then you're crazy _and_ gullible!"

...I walked right into that one... "And you're a crazy ditz. I'm going to my match now." I turn and walk away.

"I hope she beats you up! Jerk!" Wasn't she saying just the opposite before...?! I really don't get her sometimes...

I walk towards the participate room. There's Ami... She's hurring towards me.

"Onii-chan...!" She tackle-hugs me. "Did you see that...?!"

"Yeah, I did. You did okay!"

"I did good! I won!"

"You did okay."

"My win was better than yours."

Ack... "You won with a tiny green _hammer_."

"You won by picking someone up."

"...Fine, you did pretty good."

"Yay!"

"Now go upstairs. This time I'll show you how a match is _really_ fought!"

"Okay! Do your best, Onii-chan!" She runs towards the stands. Heh...

"Is she your little sister?" a familiar voice speaks up from behind me. That smell... I turn to see Natalia.

"Yeah. Do you have any siblings?"

"No."

"Aww... Little sisters are so much fun to tease!"

"To tease...? Shouldn't you be taking care of her? She's part of your family..."

"Exactly. Well, anyway, we should get ready for our match."

"Right. Good luck to you."

"Good luck to you as well!"

We head in and go opposite ways down the inside hall, so we can arrive on opposite sides of the stage. The last battle is finishing up... Looks like the Thor knight lost. They exit the arena... and Natalia and I step out.

"All right! We're on to round two! The first match... Bowman the Bowshooter, Chester!"

...He didn't... I glance up at the stands; Tim's taking his seat among everyone else. Is _that_ where he went...?! Keh...!

"Versus! The Child of Lanvaldear, Natalia!"

Lanvaldear...? Oh well; no time to think about it. Both of us pull an arrow out and get ready to battle.

**Milard gained the title of Fighter's Nightmare. She's the one everyone fears... She can take people out with one hit and stop people dead in their tracks.**

**Chester received the disgraceful title of Terrible Canine. It is a title given to one who's still no good with his dog-like senses.**

**Arche gained the title of Silence Aid. Don't want to hear anymore? I can help you cover your ears!**


	70. Clueless Wolf

**Yay! Finally another chapter! Next week is finals, and then summer's coming up, so hopefully I'll be able to write more...**

**Also, at the request of David, there are now forums up for this story. There's a link on my site, or you can type in the address bar: http -colon slash slash- z8 -dot- invisionfree -dot- com -slash- TeishiNoForum -slash- index -dot- php. I hope to see you there!**

**Well, please enjoy the chapter!**

**PS: I'm glad I included Johnny... His match was fun to write. Or, what you see of his match...**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Tales series. It is owned by the super-awesome Namco. Super-awesome for creating it. /ok**

**--Clueless Wolf--**

"Start!" Natalia and I both quickly notch our arrows and aim our bows. We shoot—too fast—we both miss. We both quickly notch again.

"Piercing Line!"

Ah...! I barely move out of the way. She has _that_ move...?!

"Cavalry!" That's not an attack... Okay, my move!

I quickly take aim. "Ice Fang!" She's hit!

She aims again—I do the same.

"Star Embrace!"

"Wild Rain!" Arrows land around both of us, but neither of us were hit. I run forward. "Sonic Bash!" Stones rise up around her and hit her. I land and aim again—I shoot and hit her. All right...!

She runs up. "Aerial Laser!" Ow...! "Storm Edge!" Keh... I quickly move to the side, pulling the arrows out of me.

"Heal...!"

Wait... She can _heal_ herself...?! Oh that's not fair...

She starts charging up again. I quickly take aim and shoot, stopping her from casting. We both take aim again. I shoot—

"Piercing Line!" Ow...! This time she got me... in my right arm... Dammit...! I aim again—I notch an arrow and pull it back. Ugh... It hurts to pull it back...

"Storm Edge!" Ah...! I jump out of the way. I can't win like this... For once I wish I could change to my wolf form—then I could attack...!

She shoots another arrow—I dodge that one as well.

Keh... I'm not about to lose because of one hurt arm...!

"Star Embrace!"

She misses—I take aim... I just have to ignore the pain... I can pull it back a little farther... Okay, here we go...! "Dragon Slayer...!" Ha, hit her...! "Giga Fang...!" All right, she's stalled... Now what... Ah, of course...!

I run forward and tackle Natalia—we both fall. "Ah...!"

Heh, this was a good idea... in more ways than one! "Hope you don't mind if we lay here for a little while," I say as I hear the announcer start counting.

"G-get off of me...!"

"I can't 'til he stops counting. At least."

"Must you win _all_ your battles in this crude manner?"

"And ten! The winner is Chester!"

"No, just ones against cute girls and ninjas," I joke as I stand. I offer her a hand; after some consideration, she takes it, and I help her up. "Sorry about that. How about I buy you dinner tonight to make up for it?"

"You really are a smooth-talker, aren't you...?" she asks, annoyed. Ack, I think she's glaring, too...

"That's not an answer."

"...My apologies. I'm afraid I should return home immediately, though."

"Well, if I see you again, I owe you a dinner."

"...Very well. Goodbye, Chester."

"See you later, Natalia!" With that, we turn and walk our separate ways, out of the arena. The next two walk towards the stage—ack, Arche's fuming... I guess that'd be my fault... I rush past her and into the tournament building. Okay, good... Now it doesn't feel like daggers are piercing me. I quickly walk back up to the stands—I wanna see when Arche loses!

I go out to a cheering crowd. Wait... where's Arche? The cloaked ninja kid is fighting someone I don't know now... I walk over to everyone else. There's the witch—how'd she beat me back? And she's pouting, her face cutely puffed up and her arms folded across her flat chest.

"Hey," I greet. "Lose already?"

"No!" she yells angrily.

"A-actually," Cless speaks up, "she defeated her opponent with one really huge spell..."

One... spell...?

"It was amazing...!" my sister adds. "Fire went everywhere! I could even feel the heat up here!"

"Yeah, it was really neat," the prince agrees.

Urk...

Arche turns to me, a creepy grin on her face. "Would you like a replay, Chester~?"

"N-no thanks...!" I take a seat next to Dad, _away_ from the crazy girl. Hey wait... "How'd she beat me back...?"

"She flew up right after she won," the steed explains.

"Right..." I'm done asking anything about her... I'd rather _not_ give her some stupid excuse to use a spell on me...

Dad pats my back—without his pact rings on; I look at him questioningly.

"Chester... I'll be sure to give you flowers. If you want any other parting gift, let me know before it's too late."

"Huh...? What on Aselia are you talking about...?"

Milard pokes her head around the summoner. "Your next match is against Arche-chan."

"...Crap."

"Enjoy your last minutes among the living," my father continues.

"Right... Hey, about those parting gifts—"

"Only on your gald."

"Then they're not gifts!"

"You won't need gifts or gald after you're dead, though."

"You could always find another way to resurrect me."

"Now you sound like you're making a habit of dying..."

"Trust me, dying isn't exactly a fun pastime..." Hm... "Maybe if I had someone to compete against..."

"Chester-kun!"

"Okay, that's not something to joke about," Dad scolds, but...

"Then why are you smiling?" I ask as I laugh.

"Klarth, don't encourage him."

"I'm not smiling."

"Right, we'll go with that," I say, still laughing a little.

"And the winner is Tim!"

My group starts getting up. "Well, that's our cue. Why don't we go find something to do around the city?" Dad quickly says as he leads the way. Milard sighs as the rest of us follow. We walk down to the contestant room, where we meet up with Tim.

"Heh, did you see that win?" Tim brags.

"Oh, you won? Sorry, couldn't see it through the crowd," I tease. "I thought for sure you lost."

"H-hey!"

"You did very good, Timothy-san," Mint compliments.

"Hey, can't you leave some time before ruining my fun?"

"Ah..."

I laugh. "I'm joking, relax."

"Chester... Be nice to Mint..."

"I am nice to her. That's the first time I teased her."

"And that's good for Chester..." I hear the witch mutter.

"What was that?"

"...Fire Ball."

"Ow! That was uncalled for!"

"Hmph." Arche starts storming towards the city. Keh... The rest of us follow; I stay towards the back, _away_ from the crazy witch.

"Where are we going?" my kid sister asks.

I'll let them decide... anything I say might make Arche madder. I glance over at Tim, who's in the back with me. Macaron's perched on his shoulder.

"So... Where'd you go earlier?" I ask him.

"Huh?"

"You didn't _just_ go to change my title, did you? And by the way, as soon as I find out who's in charge, I'm changing it to something better."

"Aww, but I like your title! It's as stupid as you are!"

"Watch it, or I'll use you as a meat shield when Arche's throwing spells at me."

"Not if I get away first!"

"Not with a cloak like that. It's too easy to just grab it and pull you in for the spell!"

"You can have your crazy girlfriend's spells..."

"She's not my girlfriend!"

Everyone turns and stares. Whoops... "Uh... You guys keep going. I need to talk to Tim!" I grab Tim's arm and quickly drag him away. "She's not my girlfriend!"

"You are _so_ in denial..." the annoying kid says.

"I'm not in denial of anything!"

"But... Klarth said you like her."

"He... did... _what_?!"

"Geez you get defensive..."

"Whatever. Look, we're done on this subject. No more. _Ever_."

"Okay, fine. Run with your tail between your legs."

"I'm _not_ running. And you didn't answer my question from earlier!" I remind him.

"What question was that again~?"

"He asked us where we were earlier, Master," Macaron speaks up.

"Thanks, Macaron!" Heh, I like the fairy! Tim looks annoyed.

"I was changing your title."

"Where else?"

"Just talking to Hyouko."

Oh, Hyouko... "She's here?"

"She was. She's already left. She just wanted an update from me," he finally explains. "No big deal really... Why do you wanna know so bad?"

"You were just acting kinda strange... I thought it was bigger..."

"No. Anyway, let's catch up with everyone else before we lose them..." Tim leads the way back to the others, and I follow. Macaron flies over to me.

"Hey there," I greet.

"Please don't mind Master. He's really a good person once you get to know him."

"Oh yeah, calling me 'mutt' is the mark of a good person..." I mutter sarcastically.

"Please just give him some time." The fairy bows to me and then flies back to the cloaked kid. Keh... I hurry to catch up with the two. Where did the others go... I glance around in the crowd. I can kinda smell them... I guess that means we're going the right way, then.

"Onii-chan! Over here!" I glance around; my sister's over by a concession stand with everyone else. Tim, Macaron, and I hurry over.

"Ice cream...?"

"You promised me some, Onii-chan~!"

"Eh? When?"

"In Miguel, when Milard-san and I overheard you and Dad talking about—"

"Okay, you win. What type of ice cream do you want?"

"This one~!" she says happily, pointing to some strawberry ice cream. I buy that for her and myself some chocolate. I wonder if I'll still like it as a wolf... The guy running the business gives everyone the ice cream they asked for. I take mine and stare at it for a minute. Well, there's only one way to find out...

I try it.

Hey, I still like it.... In fact, it's even better than I remember. I continue eating it.

"Chester... you can still eat ice cream?" Cless speaks up.

"Apparently so. I'm not complaining."

"Hm... It's interesting to see how your tastes in foods are changing..." Dad speaks up.

"Hey, this isn't some kind of experiment." The others laugh.

"Hm? Hey, little girl, isn't that you on the screen?" the ice cream seller speaks up. We look where he's pointed, at a TV—ack... The Destroyer's fighting someone on there, still using its copy of Ami. And not only that, but it's ruthlessly bashing the person its fighting. Oh no... I grab my sister and pull her into a hug, so she can't look.

"Onii-chan...!"

Blood spills across the screen. The Destroyer's opponent is dead...

"That's not her..." I tell the shop owner. I glance at the others for help...

Mint nods and walks over. She kneels down so she's my sister's height. "Ami-chan, I noticed a nice clothing store earlier. Would you like to go see what they have with me?"

The kid looks up at the cleric. "...Okay!" she says after a minute. I let go of Ami, and the dove stands. She takes Ami's hand and starts leading her away.

"Come on, Suzu, Milard, Macaron~! Let's make it a girl's shopping trip!" the weasel speaks up as she quickly follows. She's still mad at me...

"Very well..." Macaron goes with her.

"I'll stay here. You girls have fun," Milard declines. The rest of the girls hurry away.

"She took... Macaron..."

"You can get by without having your fairy always there, can't you?" I ask Tim.

"Of course I can!"

"Then stop whining."

"I'm not whining!"

"Funny, you whine just as much sometimes..." Dhaos says to me.

"Hey, I do not! And I wasn't even talking to you!"

Dad sighs. "Glad to see you still get along with everyone _so_ great, Chester."

"Why is Arche mad at you, anyway?" the swordsman asks.

"I don't know..."

"Well what did you and Natalia talk about after the match?" my father speaks up.

"I asked her if she wanted to go out to dinner, but she said she had to leave soon."

"Ahh, so that's it..."

"What's it?"

"You really don't get it, do you...?"

Keh... "I don't care anymore. Let's just drop it and find something to do around here..." I throw my ice cream stick in a trashcan and start walking. The others follow.

There's a beep... the communication book? Dad quickly leads us down a back alley, so bystanders won't see.

"Hey Tim, wait here a minute, okay?" I say.

"No way! I'm coming with!"

"No you're not."

"Watch me!" Tim pushes past me and follows. Keh...

"Hey, Tim...!" I chase after him.

"He's going to be curious now..." Dad points out.

Milard sighs. "Tim, you must promise not to tell anyone about anything you see."

"I promise."

Keh... Dad opens the communication book.

"Heya!"

"Hello, Sardon. What have you found?"

"Found out some more about the war!" the scientist says proudly. "It was known as the Ragnarok War back then, though one bad source called it the Kangaroo War... Anyway, it's said that some strange cloaked men ended it using two powerful swords and something else..."

"Powerful swords...?"

"Yeah, I went and asked the Cless in this time about them; they're called the Flamberge and the Vorpal Sword."

The Flamberge...?!

"Prince Sauound of Odin has the Flamberge," Dad explains. "Can you find out anything about that?"

"Prince Sauound Janos, right? I found some information on him, too—the Janos family never survived the war. The king and queen were killed when the volcano forming under their castle exploded... and the prince's body was later found in the country of Thor."

"That's where we are...!" Cless exclaims.

"Eh? Really? Well, I don't know exactly when he's going to die..."

"Wait... what's going on here?" Tim asks. "Who is that, and how does he know if people are going to die or not? And why is he talking about this like it's the past?"

Well, it's too late to hide anything now... "Because it _is_ the past. We're from the year 6548," I tell him.

"...You're lying..."

"He's not... it's the truth," my best friend sticks up for me.

"But that's four thousand years...!"

"And we have gods that are somehow connected with this time period," Dad speaks up. "Tell me, Tim, how do you spell Curtis? Milard, if you would write..."

"C-U-R-T-I-S." Milard first draws some runes and then writes the letters in the air. They show up, glowing in bright blue, and stay there.

"And Merilynn?"

"M-E-R-I-L-Y-N-N."

"What about Sauound?"

"Yeah, that's a good question..." I've been wondering how on Aselia to spell such a weird name...

"S-A-U-O-U-N-D."

Milard writes them all in the air, one above the other. "Take off the last two letters of Curtis' name..." She crosses them out on Dad's command. "The first four letters of Merilynn's name... and the first and last letters of Sauound's name. And you get..."

"Curt, Lynn, and Auoun...!"

"So not only do the gods look at least two of these three, but they used their names as well..."

Then... Merilynn is connected to Fenrir somehow...

"...Chester, don't be surprised when we see Merilynn. She might look like—"

"I know," I cut Milard off.

"But they all died," Sardon speaks up. "All three of their bodies were found... It's said they're buried in the Forest of Spirits."

"Think you can confirm that for us?" Dad asks.

"E-eh?! You want me to dig them up...?!"

"I would like to know if they really died..."

"B-but...!"

"Let us know if you find anything out about this country as well," Dad orders.

"Eh?! I can't research _and_ dig up graves!"

"I'm sure you'll manage. Until then." Dad closes the book on a protesting Sardon.

"Klarth..."

Dad chuckles. "I think I'm starting to understand why Chester picks on people so much."

"See? It's fun, isn't it?"

"You two..." Milard sighs and gives up. Heh.

A person—no, a ninja—jumps down next to us. "Cless' match is next," he informs us.

"Ah, thank you," the swordsman says. As the ninja jumps up and disappears, Cless turns to the rest of us. "Shall we head back now?"

We agree and start walking. "Hey, Cless, who are you up against?"

"Um... I'm against Mint..."

"Whoa, seriously? Wait, how'd she even win one match?"

"Her opponent never showed..."

"Ahh, that explains it..."

We enter the tournament building and part with Cless. Oh right, before that... "Hold on, I need to get my title changed. Where do we do that?"

"Try at the front desk," Dad suggests. Right... I go there.

"Hello, how can I help you?" the woman asks.

"I'm one of the participants, Chester. I'd like to get my title changed."

"From Bowman the Bowshooter?"

"Right."

"What would you like to change it to?"

I didn't quite think that far ahead... Let's see... I needs to be something cool... Ah, I've got it! "Phoenix Fighter~!"

"How does _that_ fit you?" Tim questions.

"Actually, I think that's a good title..." the swordsman speaks up.

"Thank you!"

The receptionist types it in. "All right, I have it changed. Please enjoy the rest of the tournament."

"Right, thanks." We head on to the stands. We soon enter and return to our usual seats. The girls aren't back yet...

"Welcome back," Curtis greets. "Have fun?"

"Yeah..." If Sardon doesn't find their bodies, then...

"It's a nice city, isn't it? Thor City's even more impressive."

"Then maybe we should go there after the tournament," Tim speaks up.

"If you do, tell me; I'll show you around."

"Next up!" the announcer's voice booms. I turn my attention to the arena as my two friends step out. "The Predator, Cless! Versus... The Kindest Maiden, Mint!"

I can't believe they're actually supposed to fight each other... Mint can't fight, and I doubt Cless would hurt her...

"Star—"

"Um, excuse me," Mint speaks up. "I would like to forfeit this match to Cless-san."

Forfeit... Aww, and I was just getting excited to see what would happen...

"O-okay... Then by withdrawal of opponent, the winner is Cless!"

The two walk out of the arena, and a cute girl in blue and black steps out. Her opponent is a monster... I notice Dhaos leaving out of the corner of my eye.

"The Knight of Legend, Chloe! Versus... A wyvern! Begin!"

The girl—Chloe?—unsheathes her sword and starts fighting. She's pretty good... She's using different skills than I've seen Cless use...

The creature lunges at her—she sticks the tip of her sword in the ground and jumps up, kicking the wyvern. "Alpha Tempest!"

"She's pretty good, isn't she?" Cless says as he takes a seat next to me.

"Yeah," I agree. Mint's here, too... "Hey Mint, where are the rest of the girls?"

"They should be here soon. I told them I wasn't going to fight..."

"Are they clothes shopping?"

"Sort of..."

"Sort of?"

"Ah, here they come," Mint says with a smile. Nice dodge... I look over to see the girls coming. Arche marches over to me. Uh-oh...

"Chester...?"

"Y-yeah...?"

"Fire Ball!"

"Ow! H-hey...!"

"You're a stupid, dense moron."

"What did I even _do_?"

Arche sighs and plops down in the seat next to me. "Idiot..."

"Ditz." Does this mean I'm forgiven...? I'm so confused... This girl makes absolutely _no_ sense.

"And the winner is Chloe!" Aw, now I missed the end of that... Well, she doesn't look too hurt... She walks out as Dhaos and his opponent—a scientist from the looks of it—walk in.

"Next up! The Cold-Hearted Man, Dhaos! Versus! The Sparker, Tristan!"

Maybe Dhaos will get beaten now... I turn my attention back to the arena. I notice Milard and Dad leaving out of the corner of my eye.

The scientist pulls out a magitech machine—a gun kinda like Chris'. As Dhaos charges up, the man shoots—a bolt of electricity charges out of the gun and hits the angel. The scientist holds it on, so the electricity keeps coming. Ouch... That looks like it hurts a lot...

Dhaos tries to stand his ground, concentrating hard to not move back or fall. He'll fall soon...

"You can do it, Dhaos-san!" my sister calls out. Keh... Why is she cheering for him...?!

Dhaos quickly kneels down and punches the ground. "Demon Fist...!" A blast of energy rushes at the scientist—it hits and knocks him back. Dhaos takes this opportunity to charge in—"Wyrm Rush!" He stays close, using his fists instead of magic.

Keh... that's not fair... Now that he's not being electrocuted, he has this fight... "Too bad... I guess I'll just have to wait for the next one to watch him lose."

"Chester... shouldn't you be _cheering_ for our party...?" Cless asks.

I shrug. "It's okay; it's just Dhaos."

"Dragon Blast!" Dhaos' enemy goes flying, and then lands on the ground, unconscious.

"And the winner by knockout is Dhaos!" Keh... Dhaos exits, while some workers carry his opponent out. Milard and some weirdly dressed guy step out. Wait... is he using a lute as his weapon...?! "Next up, we have the Pierrot, Johnny! Versus! The Fighter's Nightmare, Milard! ...Start!"

As Milard starts drawing runes, her opponent starts playing a song on his lute... and... singing...?! I don't think I like this song... I put my hands over my ears. Something about it just doesn't feel right...

"Shibire Rumba!" the bard calls out at the end of his song. Ugh, I don't feel so good... I feel numb, like I can barely—ow...! I got a sharp pain when I tried to move...

I move only my eyes to continue watching the fight. Milard seems to be having similar difficulties... I glance at the crowd. Wait, they're all fine...

"Chester? What's wrong?" Arche bends down so her face in front of mine.

"N-nothing..."

"You look kinda pale..."

"Eh? Are you sick, Chester-san?" Now Mint's heard... I wonder if she can help...

"That song..."

"Eh? You could hear it...?" my best friend questions.

"You couldn't?"

"No..."

He's singing another song... This one sounds... soothing... I feel really tired...

"Ah, Chester...!"

This feels... nice and warm...

"...ver...!" Huh...? I don't feel so sleepy all of the sudden... I blink and stare at the bright arena. Wait... I'm laying... on...

"Ah...!" I quickly push myself off of the witch. "S-sorry..."

"Maybe you should rest..." Cless suggests.

"I'm fine..." More music reaches my ears. This one's... weird... And I feel like my mana's being drained...

No... My human mana is... but...

"I'm changing..." I won't make it in time...

"Ah... H-hop on...!" Arche pulls out her broom; I feel myself pushed on. Wind hits my face... Where are we going...?

Wind is coming up from below... I'm falling...

**Chester gained the title of Tackling Winner. It is a title given to one who wins through use of tackles.**

**Arche gained the title of Destructive Jealousy. A jealous woman is the most dangerous force in the universe...**

**Ami gained the title of Prize Winner. She makes sure she gets the prize promised to her long ago.**

**Klarth gained the title of Puzzle Master. I just need a few more pieces of the puzzle to solve everything...**

**Chester gained the title of Clueless Wolf. Just because your senses are good doesn't mean you can understand the heart of a woman.**


	71. Tackling Master

**Somehow, school helps me write. O.o' Seriously, I've had a writer's block **_**all**_** summer, but come the first week of school, I'm able to not only overcome it, but go on a writing frenzy. ...I think maybe because it helps me stay awake in some of my classes.**

**Anyway! Sorry for the long wait! After I got over the writer's block, this chapter was fun. I've been looking forward to this match! So... I hope you enjoy it!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Tales games. They're owned by Namco.**

**--Tackling Master--**

Ow, this hurts... What happened...? Arche's here, floating above me... Macaron's with her... Strange.

"Are you done yet?"

Huh...? I glance down; I'm a wolf. Keh... I concentrate and change back to a human. "What are you talking about? And why the hell do I hurt so much...?!"

Arche floats down to my level. "You went wild," she explains. "I kept you from going into town by hitting you with spells~!"

"Don't say that so cheerfully! I'm in pain, you know!"

"Once Mint heals you, you'll be fine in no time! Hop on and I'll take you!"

I stare at the crazy witch. "...If you're flying, then I think I'm better off walking. Else I might die before reaching Mint..."

"Jerk!"

"I can go get Mint-san for you," Macaron offers as she floats down.

"That works. Thanks."

"No problem!" the fairy says cheerfully before flying back to the city. I sit down. Oww... Just what did she hit me with...?!

Arche hops off her broom. "Well, looks like I'm stuck with you, in case you change into a wolf again."

"I'm not changing into a wolf!"

"Right, right. So I guess your good hearing kinda sucks for things like tournaments."

"I'll say... Hey, don't we have a match soon?"

"Nope. That's it for the day... The tournament will start again in the morning. We're the first match!"

I grin. "Then we better make it a good one."

"It'll be explosive!" she cheers happily.

"Not explosive! Haven't you hit me with enough spells?!"

"Not really."

Keh... Is her brain broken or something? She's smiling at me... Her smile's kinda...

Wait, what am I thinking? This is _Arche_... the craziest girl in the world.

"Chester? Something wrong?"

"...Ah..." I hold my head...

"Chester...?"

"A-Arche..." I change into a wolf... I'm growling at her...

"Ah...!" She jumps back on her broom and quickly flies up. "C-Chester...! Snap out of it!"

Heh heh... I change back to a human, laughing. She fell for it...!

"Eh...? Chester...?" She floats down to my level.

"You should've... seen your face! That was priceless...!"

"You... You jerk! That was mean!"

"I scared you~!"

"I thought you'd lost it again!"

"You jumped on that broom quickly!" I tease.

"Jerk! I hate you!"

"You're the one who fell for it!"

"Jerk jerk jerk jerk _jerk_!"

"Gullible!"

She jumps off her broom and—ow! She whacked me with it! "Stop hurting the injured guy!"

"You deserved that!"

"You're abusive..."

"Yes, I think this relationship will have some spousal abuse in the future..."

"What do you mean _spousal_ abuse?!" I turn to glare at the person—wait, Dad's here? And everyone else... including Tim and Curtis...

"Just an observation of how you two... get along."

"There's not going to be 'spousal' anything between us!"

"So then you don't want to marry a pretty girl like Arche?"

"Are you blind? Arche's not pretty—ow!" She hit me with her broom again...

"At least I don't have fox-eyes!" she challenges.

"At least I'm not so obnoxiously colorful!"

"Loser!"

"Moron!"

"Stupid!"

"Ditz!"

"All right, that's enough," Milard speaks up. "Come on, it's time for dinner."

I glare at the witch, and she glares back. She's so annoying...

"...Cure!"

"Thanks, Mint," I say to her, feeling a lot better already.

"You okay? You looked pretty sick back there," Curtis speaks up as we start walking back to the city.

"I'm fine _now_... But Arche's spells did _not_ help."

"Oh stop complaining, you big baby."

"You don't know how much those spells hurt!"

"Tim?"

"I agree; he's whining."

"Hey, you can't argue one way or another; you haven't been hit by them!"

"So, what are we eating?" Dad speaks up.

"There's a good restaurant just inside town. It's pretty close to the best inn, if you don't have a place to stay yet tonight. I'll show you on the way to the restaurant."

"Thank you, Curtis-san," Milard says.

"Why are you sticking with us, anyway?" the ninja-boy questions.

"You guys seem like fun. And you're weird."

"We're not weird!"

"How are we weird...?"

"Well, you have at least one half elf in your group; most don't like half elves."

"...What about you?" I venture. We do have a half elf... and this guy's the prince...

"I don't care. I'm strong enough that I'm safe from anyone dangerous, and I can protect those I care about. So why worry about anyone in particular?"

"You're... pretty laid back, aren't you?"

"That's what everyone tells me," he says with a grin. "Also, you have a summoner with quite a few pacts. We've been studying summoning, but this is the first time I've seen a successful summoner. Plus Chester has a tendency to win without really winning a fight—"

"Hey, whatever works. At least I've won."

"Yeah, and you keep the battles interesting. Anyway, another way you're weird is you have a woman who uses a quill as a weapon—"

"That _is_ a weird weapon..."

"Whatever works, right?" the meerkat points out.

"—and you have a guy who's wearing a black cloak in public in this weather."

"That's not weird!"

"...Actually..." How is that _not_ weird?

"Shut up, you stupid mutt!"

"Don't call me a mutt...!"

"There's the hotel," the prince speaks up; we glance over. It does look pretty nice... "For your entertainment, I'll make sure they give you half off."

"Uh... thanks."

"And here's the restaurant." He leads the way in. We follow, and a hostess takes us to a large table. Macaron stays hidden in Tim's hood the whole time. I wonder what fairies eat...

"Hm... A lot of these things look good..." Arche speaks up as she stares at the menu.

"At least you can actually read the menu now... Without that weird stuff..."

"Oh shut up!"

"Weird stuff?" the cloaked kid asks.

"Ah, nothing."

"...You guys are weird."

"We weird people tend to attract each other, it seems."

"I'm not weird...!" Heh heh, he's _way_ too easy!

"Hm... I wonder if I'm weird..." the prince says.

"Oh yeah. It's not normal for anyone to be that laid back!" the witch tells him.

Cless laughs. "We're definitely an interesting group."

The waiter walks over and asks us what we want. We all order; poor guy has to write quickly to keep up with Arche... After getting our order, he walks back to the kitchen.

"So, where are you guys from?" the prince asks.

"We're from a small island not far from here. We've been traveling around for a while now. See the world and all..." Dad takes this question up for us.

"Have you only traveled in Thor?"

"No. We don't really ally with any particular country, so we haven't worried much about the war."

"Interesting..." The waiter brings us our drinks. He passes them out before leaving again. The prince drinks and then glances at me. "...Chester, right? I've been thinking about this for a while now... but have I met you before?"

"Uh... that's..."

"Fifteen years ago... but the person I saw then looked the same age as you are now."

"It's... kinda weird."

"I've seen a lot of weird from you guys already."

"As in you probably wouldn't believe me."

"Try me; I'm pretty open to crazy stuff."

"...You're working on a time-space transference machine here, right?" the summoner speaks up. "We're proof it works; we're from the future. Chester first came here before the rest of us, fifteen years before now."

...I don't know if I should be mad or glad... he explained it well, but he made it not sound as crazy... which completely destroys what I said...

"Really? That's pretty cool. What's the future like?"

"Well, there's no war in our time. Our technology's about as good as this country's..."

"I hope I get to see it sometime!"

"Maybe you should visit us in the future!" my kid sister speaks up.

"Yeah, that sounds like fun."

"...The future..." Tim mutters.

"Maybe we should go, too, Master!" his fairy speaks up.

"Yeah, that'll be fun. I'll be sure to invite you two!" Curtis says to the kid.

"Uh... thanks..."

"I don't think Tim could handle the future; he can't even handle walking around town without a hood in the present time!" I tease. Some of the others laugh.

"Oh shut up!"

The waiter brings us our food, passes it out, and then leaves again. We start eating. Hey, this steak is pretty good!

As we eat, we make small talk. Curtis tells us some about the current state of the war—nothing we haven't already heard. He also tells us some about Thor's magitech—apparently they use it for even mundane tasks in everyday life... no wonder Yggdrasil's so bad off. Dhaos doesn't look happy from this conversation at all.

"I'm more interested in the possibility of humans using magic," Dad speaks up.

"Well, I know it can happen... We're doing experiments on it in Thor."

"Interesting... Would it be possible for me to see these experiments?"

The prince considers this. "Well... Normally, we don't let anyone see those things. But how about this—I have something to do after the tournament. You help me with that, and I'll give you a tour of our experiment facilities. Anyone who joins me can come."

"What do you need to do?" Cless questions.

"We're actually interested in the summoning arts. We've managed to capture a spirit, but we can't do any experiments on it. However, we've learned about pact rings... I won't ask you to give up any of yours, Klarth. All I ask is that you help me find some new ones. Deal?"

"That sounds good to me," the summoner says.

"...I can ask the ninja to do some research while we finish the tournament," Tim offers.

"Great. We'll leave first thing in the morning after the tournament, then." Of course, early in the morning...

"Sounds good." Speak for yourself...

"Well, I should head back now; I have some work to do. Don't bother paying—I'll tell them to put it on my tab."

"Thank you."

"Thanks!" The joys of traveling with royalty... This guy seems a _lot_ nicer than Sauound... Now, anyway. If they really _are_ the gods... Well, I should wait for Sardon to finish his research on that matter.

"See you tomorrow, then. Good luck in the tournament."

We say our good-byes as Curtis stands and walks away.

"The pact rings, huh..." I mutter.

"We should learn some good information from this," Dad points out.

"And it sounds like a quick and easy mission!" the witch speaks up.

"We have to _find_ the rings first!" I point out.

"But the ninja are doing some research in it first."

I sigh... "I don't think this'll be as 'quick and easy' as you say..."

"It'll still be fun, right?"

"Right! You understand, Ami!"

Why does my sister have to agree with this crazy witch...? Keh...

"Well, we should probably head to the inn," Cless speaks up. "We need to rest for the tournament tomorrow."

We agree and quickly finish our food. After that, we head to the inn Curtis showed us. We pay and then head up to our new rooms. This time it's at most three per room... Cless, Tim, and I share a room. Macaron comes, too, of course.

"So, what's the lineup for tomorrow?" I ask as we get ready for bed.

"I know it's you versus Arche..." the steed says.

"Yeah, I know that, too... Remind me not to insult her in the morning."

"I'm going up against a monster..."

"Dhaos is going up against a swordsman girl, Milard's up against Klarth, and Ami's going up against a kid," our other roommate explains. "And I'm up against a scientist."

"...So Dad and I have the worst matches imaginable first thing in the morning... Great..."

"As long as you don't make her mad again, you should be fine," Cless assures me.

"I think that's kinda impossible for him."

"Hey...!"

"...Maybe it'd be best if you don't even see her before the match..."

"Thanks for your vote of confidence, Cless."

"You don't want to take any chances, right?"

"...Point."

"Let's get to bed. Sooner we do, sooner we can wake up and see Chester get beat up," Tim says as he turns out the lights.

"Shut it! I'm gonna win that match, too." We each get in a bed.

"By tackling her, too?"

"...Maybe..." That might actually be...

...Wait, what am I thinking...?! There wouldn't be anything nice _about_ that...! "Probably not!"

"What are you so angry about?"

"I'm not angry!"

"...Whatever. I'm going to bed."

"Goodnight, Tim, Chester."

"Night."

"Keh... Night..." The other two go quiet... I wonder if they're really that tired. I'm not... Keh, why is it always so hard for me to sleep...?

...I wonder if they're asleep now... I roll over, trying to get comfortable enough to sleep.

...Someone's moving... the person gets up; I can hear his footsteps softly on the floor. The door creaks open, and then softly closes. I sit up—it was Tim... I get up, put my shoes on, and, staying quiet, follow him. I can pick up his scent... All right, he's definitely not getting away this time! I follow him outside and... down a back alley—wait, there he is. I hide behind a wall. He's talking to Hyouko...

"Pact rings? ...And why should we help the prince with this?"

"He'll show us the labs if we do."

"The labs...? ...I see. Then, we'll help."

"Great, thanks."

"Don't thank me. Just do your job."

"Of course! I'm going to destroy that thing, once and for all!"

"...What will you do after that?"

"Stay with you guys and Macaron, of course!"

"For how long...?"

"Ah..."

Huh...? I feel like I'm missing something here...

"...Just don't push yourself too hard. I'll contact you later with some information."

"R-right. I should go back to bed before someone notices. See ya!" Uh-oh, he's coming this way... I say still.

Oh good, he hurries by without even a glance in my direction. Maybe he won't notice that my bed's empty in the dark... Or if he does, maybe he'll think I'm getting a night snack or something...

"It's rude to eavesdrop, you know."

"Ah...!" Ack, Hyouko. "...How long have you known I was here?"

"The whole time."

"Ah..." Should've guessed. "So what's this job that Tim has to do, exactly?"

"...Thor's making a magitech weapon... much like the Destroyer. His job is to annihilate it."

"And what were you talking about at the end there?"

"Nothing you need to know. Now go back to bed." She jumps up into the air and quickly disappears. Fine, fine... I head back inside.

I quietly hurry up to the room and silently open the door. I close it just as quiet; Tim hasn't moved... maybe he's already asleep? I walk over to my bed, take off my shoes, and lay down. I feel kinda tired now... I close my eyes and try to sleep...

_"Someone... help me..."_

There's someone off in the distance... I can only see the outline...

_"I can't take this life any more... All I want is..."_

"Chester, wake up."

"Leavemealone..."

"You need to eat breakfast before the tournament... You're up against Arche, remember?"

"I'm not fighting... that crazy witch..."

"Coward."

"Yep..."

"...Chester, just wake up."

"Is he up yet?"

"No..."

That smell... Eggs and bacon...? ...Fine... I sit up. "Happy...?"

"Good morning, Chester-san," Mint greets as she carries breakfast over to me.

"Morning."

"Thank you, Mint," the swordsman says.

"Yeah, thanks." I take my plate and cup from Mint.

"Eat quickly... you have to be at the tournament building in an hour."

"Ah... right...!" I start eating.

"I thought you didn't want to fight Arche," Cless points out as Mint leaves the room.

"I was tired."

"You admitted to being a coward~!" the kid taunts.

"Shut it, I was tired. I'm gonna beat her, just you watch!"

"I'll be watching all right... for you to lose!"

"There's no chance in hell I'm losing before you!"

"We'll see about that!"

I quickly finish breakfast and then start getting ready. I put my shoes on and test my bow. All right, feels good... I sling my quiver over my back first, then my bow. I pull my gloves on and strap them in. I tie my hair back. Now I'm ready. "Let's go."

"Right." We stand and head to the tournament building.

By the time we get there, everyone's already there waiting for us.

"Good morning~! Are you ready to lose~?" Arche greets far too cheerfully.

"I'm not the one who's going to be losing here."

"We'll see about that!"

"Good luck, you two," Cless says.

"Good luck, Onii-chan! Arche-san!"

"Do your best."

"Beat him up, Arche!"

"Tim!"

"Okay!" With a huge grin on her face, Arche hops on her broom and floats into the building. Keh... How can anyone be that cheerful this early in the morning...? I yawn and follow her. We go into the contestant room, where officials take us opposite ways for the match. Okay, we're about to do this now... I really need to wake up faster... I stretch some. Well, that helps a little...

...I'm up against Arche. I can't afford to lose now!

"Good morning everyone, and welcome back to the Euclid Tournament! It's now time for the first match of the day! We have... The Phoenix Fighter, Chester! Versus! The Disastrous Woman, Arche!" We step out and walk up to the ring as the crowd cheers. It's way too loud here...

"Need me to cover your ears again?" Arche offers.

"N-no..."

"Ready? And start!"

I quickly pull out my bow and notch an arrow.

"Chester..."

Eh?

"Are you sure you're all right doing this...?"

"Of course..." What's she doing...?

"So then... you really don't... feel anything..."

"E-eh...?!"

"Chester, I... for a long time now, I've been wanting to tell you this..."

W-what's she... she can't possibly mean... W-why is my heart being so fast...?! "A-Arche..."

"Please, listen... I really... have to get this out..."

"Ah..."

"Chester... About you, I... I..."

S-she's really... I... Arche...

"ICE TORNADO!"

"Ah...!" Dammit...! That girl...!

"Haha, gullible~!"

"Dammit, Arche! You're going _down_ for that!" I re-notch the arrow and take aim. "Glimmer Shot!"

"Ah...!" She starts charging. No way I'm gonna let that happen!

"Wild Rain! Sonic Bash!" She gets hit by the first one, but she manages to hop on her broom and fly out of the way just in time for the second. She flies up, and I take aim again...

W-wait, what the...?! She's diving straight at me...! I jump out of the way and roll on the ground; she swoops by at an amazing speed. She spins around and comes at me again. Keh... I leap up and jump out of the way. I quickly notch an arrow and take aim... "Gale Shot!" She easily dodges and—I can't move out of the way...! She grabs me, pulling me up into the air—wait, she's holding me really close...

"A-and just what are you planning on doing with me _now_...?!"

"Hm... I haven't really thought that far ahead. Maybe I should just drop you!"

"Are you _insane_?!"

"I can't believe I actually got you with that trick earlier, though! You really are gullible!"

"...All right, that's it..." We're low enough to the ground... I think it's time... I grab her and pull her closer; I push backwards off the broom.

"Ah, Chester...!" We both fall—ow...!

"And they're down, with Chester on bottom! One! Two! Three!"

Dammit, this hurts... Looks like we were up higher than I thought...

"Chester...! You idiot...!"

"Seven! Eight!"

Okay... I can't let her win...!

"Nine, and—"

I quickly roll over so I'm on top of her.

"Ah...! Ch-Chester...!"

"Looks like this is gonna be my signature win for the tournament..."

"Let me go...!"

"Not... happening..." Ow.. her struggling kinda hurts... and my head _really_ hurts...

"...Six! Seven! Eight!"

"No...!"

"Nine! And ten! The winner is Chester!"

I won... Looks like tackling girls is going good for me... Though from now on I need to remember not to purposely fall backwards from high up... but at least Arche's...

"Chester...? You can get off of me now..."

...not hurt...

...She feels warm...

**Arche gained the title of Love Trickster. You really thought I was gonna make a confession of love? Gullible!**

**Chester gained the title of Tackling Master. It's a title given to one whose signature finish is tackling his opponent.**


	72. White Knight

**I am so not slow.**

**...Okay, maybe I am.**

**We're on to the semifinals next! Yay!**

**Anyway, sorry for the slow update. Now that I see the semifinals, maybe I'll be faster! ...I hope. (Maybe I would be faster if I used VS as a reference... hm...) Well, enjoy the matches this chapter! There are a few fun ones. Or at least, I think they're fun. Chester doesn't exactly agree with me on all of those.**

**...Speaking of Chester, the last few words in the description in his title are a reference to TVTropes. That place is addicting.**

**Oh! And to ShugoAddict-san, since I couldn't send you a PM or an email, thank you for your review! And thank you for the advice!**

**Um, right. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Tales games. They're owned by Namco. Who is amazing.**

**Edit: Thank you, LaZyEnErGeTiC-san, for correcting me with Karol's artes!**

**--White Knight--**

"Chester, are you all right...?" That's Mint's voice... I open my eyes. I'm back at the hotel... "You hit your head pretty hard."

"Really...?" I sit up. Arche and Suzu are here as well... "I feel perfectly fine."

"Are you an idiot...?! Do you even know how high we were...?!"

"I thought I did... but that hurt a lot more than I thought it would..."

"The changes in your vision probably made the distance seem less," Suzu suggests.

"...Of _course_ it would. Would it be too much to ask to get just _one_ cool power that doesn't at least half suck?"

"I'm sure it'll be fine once you get used to it," the cleric assures me.

"Before or after I'm dead?" I ask her dryly.

"Before."

"After."

"Ah, Arche-san...!"

"It's true! He's so stubborn!"

...Does she want me dead or alive...?! I _really_ don't get this crazy girl... Keh... "Whatever. I still beat you."

"If you'd fainted just a second earlier, you wouldn't have! And why do you always have to use that cheap trick to win?!"

"So says the girl who tricked me at the beginning!"

"I noticed you two were talking... What did you say?" Mint asks.

Ah... "Nothing!"

"Well you see..." the weasel speaks up, "...if you ever need to stall a guy, just use your feminine charm~!"

"E-eh?!"

"And just what feminine charm do you have?" I question the witch.

"Hey! You were stalled by it!"

"No I wasn't. I was just appalled that you wanted to talk about something that sounded serious. And dumbstruck that you'd choose such a horrible time for a chat. Then again, I guess I should be used to that second one—"  
"Fire Ball!"

"Ow!"

"You're the biggest jerk _ever_! I hate you!" She turns and storms out the room. Eh...?! What did I...

"...Okay, how did I make her that mad?"

"I don't know what happened exactly, but it much have been important to her..."

"All she was trying to do was stall me long enough to use a spell. It was just a trick. What's so important about that?"

"You insulted her 'feminine charm'," the ninja suggests.

"I always do things like that to her," I point out.

"Chester... Maybe you should try being nice to her," Mint speaks up. "Otherwise... you might lose her..."

Lose her...?

"...That's not possible. She's like a bouncy ball with the persistence of a bad cold. She'll _always_ come back." That's right... she'll always be here... I sigh and stand. "Let's get back to the tournament. I'll figure out what to do about Miss Crazy later."

"All right... If you need any help, please don't hesitate to ask."

"Thanks, Mint."

"You don't have to thank me."

Well, the three of us walk back to the arena. We go out into the overly loud stands and find our way over to the others.

"Onii-chan! Are you all right?"

"Of course I am. I don't go down that easily!"

"And the winner is Cless!" Aw, I missed his battle... Ah well. Looks like the monster was pretty weak... Cless sheathes his sword and walks out of the arena. The next two people walk out two the arena. It's Dhaos and... that girl I saw before... Chloe, I think?

"Time for the next battle! The Knight of Legend, Chloe! Versus... The Cold-Hearted Man, Dhaos!"

"Do your best, Dhaos-san!" my kid sister cheers. Keh... don't cheer for him... The girl he's fighting is kinda cute... I hope she beats him!

"Fight!"

Both charge forward. The girl slashes with her sword; Dhaos dodges to the side. "Dragon Blast!"

Chloe holds up her sword to block. She then—wait, stabs it into the ground...? She jumps up, using the sword to balance her as she kicks with both feet. "Alpha Tempest!" Interesting move...

The angel moves back, then charges forward again. "This is the end... Twin Palm Strike!" He thrusts both hands forward; Chloe is thrown back. Dhaos rushes forward; "Wyrm Rush!" He punches her a number of times.

She takes a moment to regain her balance. "Focus...!" She runs forward and brings her sword up—"Tiger Blade!"

This time Dhaos has to stand back a moment—wait, is he charging up for a spell...?

Chloe realizes this; she charges forward—"Air Thrust!"

"Ah...!"

"Impact!" He hits; Chloe falls to the ground.

"And Chloe is down! One! Two! Three!"

Dhaos just stands there, waiting. He's so arrogant... I hope someone beats him up in this tournament...

"Looks like I'm up against Dhaos next." I turn to the speaker as he sits down next to me—Cless.

"Really...? Then show him a thing or two!"

"Why do you hate him so much...?"

"He's arrogant and annoying."

"Is that really it...?"

"And the winner is Dhaos!" Dhaos turns and walks off the stage, while some workers hurry over to help Chloe up and away.

Ami stands. "I should go get ready for my match now!"

"Good luck, Ami!" Cless says.

"T-thank you...!"

"Yeah, if you don't beat your opponent up good, I get teasing rights."

"Onii-chan...!"

I laugh as the others wish her luck. She hurries back into the building.

"Next up!" Two more walk out... Uh-oh. Dad and Milard... This should be interesting. "The Fighter's Nightmare, Milard! Versus! The Wise Man, Klarth!" ...Who let him change his title? ...If he wins this match, I'm so changing it to Clumsy Old Man. "Start!"

"Let's go, Milard!"

"Are you sure you're ready, Klarth?"

"You're wrong if you think you're going to win this match." Wait... I think Dad's already charging up, but Milard isn't...

"No... You're the one that's wrong!" She charges forward, raises her hand up, and—geez that's gotta hurt... As Dad staggers back, the woman starts charging up.

"Pyre Seal...!" It hits the summoner square on, and he goes flying back. He lands on his back outside the ring. The announcer starts the countdown.

"That... was absolutely horrible on Dad's part."

"And pretty good on Milard-san's," Cless agrees. Dhaos takes a seat near us in the stands.

"Eight... nine... and ten! The winner is Milard!" As the crowd cheers, she walks over to Dad and offers him a hand. He takes it, and she pulls him up. She then concentrates and heals him. I can't hear what they're saying... it's too loud here. And now they're walking out of the arena...

Ami walks past them on the way. After exchanging a few words, my kid sister hurries up to the pedestal. That other kid with the large hammer, Karol or something, also walks up.

"Now we have a match between kids! The Brave Vesperia Leader, Karol! Versus! The Cute Child, Ami!"

"I... I can't lose! I have to show her how strong I am...!" I hear Karol say.

"I can't lose, either! Or Onii-chan will never let it down!"

_That's_ her motivation for winning? Well, it's true, but...

"Do your best, Ami!" Cless calls out.

"Yeah, don't trip!" I add.

"Chester..."

"And... Start!"

Both kids pause, gripping their hammers tighter. They both look a little nervous, actually...

Ami's face grows determined. "Here I go...! Burning Hammer!"

"Ow! Hey!"

"Ah... sorry!"

Sorry...?! You don't apologize after hitting your opponent!

"Gaia Bug!" Karol reaches into his bag and throws—a fish?! Ami holds her arms up as the thing hits her, flopping around pathetically.

...This is the saddest battle I've ever seen.

Ami recovers as the fish falls to the ground. "That's it...! Duel Punishment!" Not... that move... She hits the other kid a few times as she spins around, but she soon gets dizzy.

"Destroying Rock!" Karol hits his hammer into the ground, sending rocks flying at my sister. She yelps as they hit her. The boy then lowers himself to the ground and—curls himself up into a ball...?! He rolls at Ami. "Roaring Revolution!"

Ami dodges it just in time. "Pow Hammer...!" ...Heh heh... That Karol kid's stunned while still in ball position! My sister walks up to him and positions her hammer like a baseball bat. She then takes a swing—and knocks him out of the arena! He falls on the grass just outside, still stunned and hurting. The announcer starts counting.

"Eight... nine... and ten! The winner is Ami!"

"Hey, Chester, aren't you up now?" Curtis asks from behind me.

"Oh right, I guess I am." I stand and walk over to the edge. I put my right arm on it and jump over it. I land on the ground just in front of my surprised kid sister.

"Onii-chan!"

"Hey there. Hope you don't mind if I drop in."

"I won again, Onii-chan!"

"Yeah, and that was probably the worst battle in the history of Aselia."

"That's mean...!"

"Hurry back up to the stands. I'd hate for you to miss a _real_ battle."

"You haven't even won a battle from your opponent being knocked out!"

"At least I won. It's something called strategy."

"Then what's your strategy for this battle?"

"I can't tell you that."

"I bet you don't even have one..."

"Of course I do. Now go watch like a good little girl."

Ami's face forms a cute little pout. I laugh and pat her head; I then walk past her, to the arena. Tim's already there waiting, his hood covering his head.

"So it's you and me, kid."

"I'm not a kid, you stupid mutt!"

"Next up! The Phoenix Fighter, Chester! Versus! The Black King, Timothy!"

"The Black King?"

"One of my old friends liked chess... shut up!"

"I didn't say anything."

"Well you're thinking it loudly!"

"And... start!" the announcer shouts.

Tim charges at me—wow he's fast...! I dodged his punch, but that was a close call! And dammit, now he's too close! I try kicking him.

He jumps back. "C'mon, how do you expect to hit me when you're so slow?"

I pull out my bow and notch an arrow; I take aim and—ack, how'd he get over here so fast...?! He punches—ah...!

Keh...! I forget using the arrow to shoot and swipe at him with it—he easily moves away. I quickly notch it again and shoot—"Glimmer Shot!"

It missed?! He comes at me from the side and—ow...! He keeps punching me... Dammit this hurts...!

"Chester...!"

R-right, I have to fight back...! I hold one arm up for defense and try punching him with the other—he dodges back again. He likes to jump back when he dodges...

Speaking of jumping, he's jumped into the air. He flips and then comes down at me with a kick. I jump out of the way—he hits the ground and uses it to push himself off, charging at me again.

Now's my chance—as he punches me, I don't even bother defending—I punch back.

Ha, finally hit him! He jumps back—like I'm gonna let him get away like that! I quickly step on the bottom of his cloak, trapping him. He loses his balance and falls to the ground. Finally... I pull my bow and an arrow out and aim at his head. "I suggest you stay still. I still have your cloak."

"Ha! You're not gonna kill me."

"Maybe not, but I'm sure I could shoot that hood off before you can get my foot off your cloak."

He bites his lip. He's probably glaring at me under that hood of his.

"Seven! Eight! Nine! And ten! The winner is Chester!"

Whew... I lower my bow and move my foot off his cloak. "And the White Knight takes the Black King!" I joke.

"Oh shut it!" Tim picks himself up and dusts off his cloak. "Wouldn't the White Knight be Cless' job anyway?!"

"He kinda resigned from the whole knight thing. Also, aren't there two white knights anyway? Do you even _play_ chess?"

"S-shut up! I haven't played in a long time!"

"Then why are you using a chess title?"

"Drop it already!" He turns and starts walking away, angry.

"Fine, fine..." I turn and walk the other way. That's... the Destroyer... I stop as I start to pass it.

"It's you versus me in the next match. I'm gonna make you pay for copying my sister's body."

"I will... kill everything..."

Keh, it sounds like some kind of twisted machine... with Ami's voice. It turns and looks at me, its eyes cold.

I _really_ don't like this thing... I turn away and quickly walk out, before it decides to fight me now. My next battle's gonna be tough... Unlike my friends, that thing won't hold back one bit. It'll try to kill me... I have to destroy it first.

I hurry up to the stands again; ah, Milard's leaving with Ami. Good... I'd rather my sister not watch this fight.

"Hey, where are you two going?"

"We're going to find Arche before our battle," Milard says with a smile.

"...You two are fighting each other this round?"

"Yep!" Ami cheers.

"...I feel sorry for you," I say to my sister.

"Eh?"

"Chester..." the woman turns to me.

"Uh, I mean... Good luck! I'm gonna go to the stands now..." I quickly hurry past them. I go into the crowd and sit down between Suzu and Dad. Mint heals me, which I thank her for. That feels a lot better...

"For once, you didn't win with the same trick!" Curtis speaks up.

"Yes, we were all quite shocked," Dad adds.

"Oh shut it. I only do that to pretty girls."

"...Like Arche?"

Ack... "N-no! Pretty girls and idiot girls...!"

"You know you fell asleep on top of her," Dad points out.

"...I did?"

"You did."

"...Please tell me you're joking..."

"For Chester to have gotten that close to her... Does that mean he thinks she's the prettiest?" the ninja pipes up.

"NO!" Keh, I wish they would leave me alone...! "Look, Arche's annoying and stupid. Plus she's so bright she's an eyesore. She's not pretty—she's just..." She's just... How _do_ I describe her...?

Arche...

"She's just...?"

"S-she's just plain annoying!"

"You said that one already..." Dad argues.

"Well she's doubly annoying!"

"Chester, maybe you should take a better look at her. She _is_ quite pretty..."

"Great, if you think that, take her. ...On second thought, scratch that; having her as a mom would be even more scary than Milard."

"W-why are you bringing up Milard?"

"Oh come on. Don't tell me you haven't bought a ring or anything yet."

"Chester, our relationship is _not_ like that. She's my assistant!"

"_Just_ your assistant?"

"And what's Arche to you?"

"An annoying girl that I'd rather have nothing to do with!"

"For someone you'd rather have nothing to do with, you sure got worried about her after the cave collapsed in Odin..."

"I was not! Stop pushing this on to me when you're in denial about Milard!"

"I'm not the one in denial here."

"Well neither am I!"

"Maybe you both need to think about this more..." the cleric thinks up. "Next time you see them, you should really think about how you feel. Love really is... a wonderful thing."

Mint looks happy... "...So... does that mean that you and Cless have gotten together?"

"E-eh...?!" Her face turns bright red. "N-no..."

"But you _do_ like him."

"Ah..." She looks away. "He's so focused on training and fighting... I don't want to get in the way. I'll just do what I can... to protect him."

Wow... she's admitted it... I don't even know what to say to that...

"Hm... I think I've come to a conclusion: boys are dense," Suzu speaks up.

"We are not!"

"Either far too dense or overly loving. It's _quite_ annoying." Wait, that's... I turn towards the entrance to see Arche walking over.

Arche...

How I feel...

"Jerk." She says to me.

Keh...! "Idiot."

"I'm still mad at you."

"Fine, whatever. Not like I care."

"You really are nothing but a complete jerk."

"And you're an emotional rollercoaster. How the hell do you expect me to keep up with your crazy thoughts?!"

"It's not like you even try!"

"I—"

Someone cries out in pain. I look into the arena—ah... There's blood everywhere... The Destroyer killed its opponent all right... by smashing right through his armor...

"And the winner is the Destroyer!" Some workers clean up the body while the Destroyer leaves. Cless and Dhaos walk out.

"Next up we have... The Predator, Cless! Versus! The Cold-Hearted Man, Dhaos!"

"Kick his ass, Cless!"

"Do your best, Cless-san!"

"Start!"

"Demon Fang!"

"Demon Fist!"

The two blasts cancel each other out, causing a small explosion, and the two blonds charge at each other through the dust. Dhaos punches at Cless, who holds up his arms in defense; he then swings at Dhaos—the angel moves in and grabs Cless' arm to stop him. He then punches—"Impact!"

The swordsman falls back—he holds up his sword and concentrates. "Lunge!" He disappears, appearing again a second later in front of Dhaos—he strikes and hits! He then teleports back to where he was.

"Wyrm Rush...!" Dhaos charges in; Cless moves back just in time.

"Beast...!" Keh, the stupid angel dodged to the side...

"Shadow Rush!"

"Aegis Strike!" Nice defense, Cless! That hurt Dhaos some, too.

Ack, now the man's charging up for a spell. Cless notices and hurries to pull his sword out of the ground—

"Air Thrust!"

"Ah...!"

Dhaos doesn't even give the swordsman time to recover—he rushes in. "Dragon Crush!"

Cless stumbles back. As he tries to regain his balance, he brings his sword down on the ground. "Demon Fang!"

All right! That caught the angel off guard—he's hit! Cless regains his balance and charges back in, slashing at Dhaos. He jumps back just in time—wait no, he was hit! Cless holds his sword up and swings down; Dhaos moves to the side and punches Cless a few times.

"Wow, they're both pretty good!" Curtis speaks up. "I think this is the first actual skill I've seen from your group, and I'm impressed!"

"Hey, I had skill..." I argue.

"More like annoying tricks," Arche quips.

"Suzu and Tim were both beating you up," the prince remarks.

"They were not!"

"Impact!" Dhaos throws Cless back again. He charges up for another spell as Cless recovers... "This is the end... Gravity Well!" The spell hits Cless, knocking him to the ground. The announcer starts counting. Dammit Cless, get up...! You can't let that smug idiot win...!

Cless works on getting up, but that last spell seemed to have taken a lot from him... Dhaos watches and waits as Cless slowly sticks his sword into the ground and uses that to push himself to his feet.

With determination in his eyes, Cless pulls his sword out of the ground and prepares to continue fighting. He charges at Dhaos—"Lightning Tiger Blade!"

All right! That seems to have hurt him pretty bad... a few sparks stay on him a moment longer before disappearing.

"Omega Tempest!"

The angel jumps back just in time. "Wyrm Rush!" Keh, he hit Cless... This isn't looking good...

"Demonic Swallow Kick...!"

Dhaos blocks a kick with one hand and—"Dragon Blast!" he sends Cless flying. The swordsman falls again. Keh...

The announcer counts. "One... Two... Three... Four... Five..." I don't think Cless will make it up this time... "Six... Seven... Eight... Nine..."

Nope, he's lost... "And ten! The winner is Dhaos!" The crowd cheers—way too loud...! I lean down and cover my ears. This really hurts my ears...

I glance up—Ami and Milard are talking to the previous fighters about something...

Someone grabs my arm and pulls me up—it's Dad. He leads me out of the crowd, back inside the building.

"Thanks..." I say as the noise dies down. My ears are still ringing...

"You okay? It seems that this good hearing keeps hurting you..."

"Yeah... Why do they have to be so loud, anyway...?"

"Well, they're not too loud to the rest of us... I guess they just don't consider the possibility of a wolf being in the crowd," he says, half joking.

"Yeah, yeah... Thanks for taking your pact rings off at least."

"I considered leaving them on... Perhaps the pain would've helped you ignore the loudness some."

"No...! Then I'd just be hurting in two areas!"

The summoner chuckles. "I suppose that's true. Well, enjoy your good senses while you have them. You'll lose them one day."

"You sound like an old man... Older than you are, anyway."

"Aren't you next after Ami and Milard?"

"Ah... yeah."

"Here." He holds out a miracle gel. I take it and stuff it in my mouth—maybe it'll help my ea—ah, much better... "Be careful against the Destroyer... I asked Curtis—so far, it's killed every single one of its opponents. As gruesome as it possibly could."

Ack... "Right. I'll be careful." I reach my pocket and touch my knife. It's gonna try to force me into close combat, and this time, I can't hold back at all.

"Chester, you're not good at close combat... Not without turning into a wolf, anyway, and you can't do that here."

"I know."

Dad thinks a moment... before reaching into his pocket. He slips one of his rings back on and starts summoning.

"What are you doing...?"

"I summon thee, master of darkness... Come, Shadow!" The thing appears between us. "Shadow, I want you to hide in Chester's quiver, and help him out if he needs it."

"Help..." Shadow does as he's told, retreating into my quiver. I frown.

"Will this be all right? Keeping a summon out that long..."

"I'll be fine. If I need help, Milard and Mint can both use Charge. More importantly, you can't die again."

"Right. Thanks. I should get going, then."

"Do your best."

"I will." I wave and then walk down the hallway. I admit, I feel a little better knowing that Shadow's here... but that thing's still gonna be dangerous.

But... I can't die! I'll defeat this thing!

I walk out into the waiting area as Ami uses Pow Hammer on a fallen Milard. She's stunned just long enough for the countdown to finish. "And the winner is Ami!" Milard congratulates her, and the two walk my way.

"Onii-chan...!" Ami runs over. She hugs me. "Be careful..."

"I'll be fine! Don't worry!"

Milard charges up... "Resist."

"Thanks."

"Are you sure you'll be all right?"

"Yeah; Shadow's in my quiver, just in case."

"Good."

I pat my worried sister on the head. "If I lose, I owe you another ice cream, okay?"

"Okay..."

"Come on, Ami..." Milard grabs her hand and leads her away. I wave to them.

All right... this is it. It's me against the Destroyer. I take a deep breath and step out into the light. I walk up to the arena and stand, facing Ami's replica.

"It's time for the first round of the semi-finals! The Phoenix Fighter, Chester! Versus! The terrifying Destroyer!"

The Destroyer glows a little—a black aura. Its eyes stare coldly at me. "This will be the 2896th kill..."

"In your dreams. I'm not dying that easily," I quip.

"And... Start!"

**Arche gained the title of Bouncy Ball. No matter what, she'll always come back.**

**Ami gained the title of Cute Fighter. It's a title given to one who's attempts at a real match are pathetic, but undeniably cute.**

**Chester gained the title of White Knight. White Knight takes Black King. The perfect chess position for a jerk with a heart of gold.**

**Mint gained the title of Maiden in Love. She'll admit to her feelings, but she won't distract the one she loves...**


	73. Destroyer Destroyer

**Gasp! Aya's posting in **_**less that a week**_**! It's amazing! It's a miracle! It's... it's...**

**...Okay, I'll stop making fun of myself now.**

**Happy Birthday, LaZyEnErGeTiC-san!**

**And thank you **_**so much**_** Starry-chan, who made the whole Karol/Nan scene possible. She came up with most of that scene, since I'm apparently not very good at writing Karol/Nan moments (I **_**will**_** get better! ...Eventually...).**

**And also, I made up the age for Dhaos. No idea how old he really is, but that seems reasonable, especially considering he's an anime character.**

**Anyway, enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I still don't own the Tales games. They're owned by Namco.**

**--Destroyer Destroyer--**

The Destroyer lunges at me—whoa that was close...! It doesn't let up—it keeps advancing, keeps swinging. Keh, sometimes I hate it when I'm right...

At least it's not as fast as Suzu or Tim. I'll have to thank them later for the training! I dodge this thing's attacks, waiting for an opening—there! I pull out my knife and try to stab it—crap, too slow—ah...!

"And Chester goes flying across the arena! That's got to hurt!"

Ow... That thing _definitely_ packs more of a punch than Suzu or Tim...

It walks over and raises up its hammer—it swings down—I roll out of the way just in time. I jump up as I do so—there's enough distance that if I'm quick... I pull out my bow and notch an arrow to it. I aim up to the sky—"Wild Rain!" Arrows rain down on the thing, one going through its left arm. Wait, it doesn't even seem hurt... This is _not_ good...

It charges again, swinging its hammer. I jump back—oh no, I'm out of arena...! I fall onto the grass.

"And Chester's out of the ring! One, Two—wait! The Destroyer's jumped out as well!"

It's bringing the hammer down on me again—I roll out of the way again, then jump up. Okay, I think I like being on the grass better against this thing... more room to run around.

The Destroyer runs over to me and swings; I dodge. It keeps swinging, and I try to keep up my dodging again. This time I have to do better! If I can—perfect! I duck down below the hammer and stick out my foot. I trip the thing. I quickly jump on it, pinning it to the ground. I pull out my knife again. Okay, time to destroy it...

I stare at it a moment as I hold the dagger above its heart. The blue hair, blue eyes...

"Onii-chan..."

N-no... That's... This thing just _looks_ like Ami... right...?

She looks up at me with scared eyes. Ami...

"S-stop... You're not Ami..."

"Don't hurt me... Please..."

This isn't... Ami...

I... I can't... Dammit...! I lower the knife. "Ami..."

She smirks—ah...!

"And she throws Chester across the grass! This isn't looking good for the archer!"

Ow... Dammit, I fell for that stupid trick... I slowly pick myself up as the Destroyer walks over calmly. Ah... Oh great, I lost the knife...! Looks like I'll have to improvise with an arrow... I pull one out of my quiver. Since it's taking its time, I pull out my bow and take aim. This time I'll shoot it right through the heart...

_"Onii-chan."_

It's not her... It's not Ami... But still... how can I try to kill something that looks like my kid sister...?! If I lost her, I'd...

But this isn't her... this is just some psycho killer machine weapon thing that _looks_ like her... So...!

I shoot—I can't help it, I close my eyes right before releasing. A moment later I look up.

The arrow went right through where its heart should be, but—it swings—ah...!

"Wow! This time Chester goes flying into the wall! That's some strength that kid's got!"

Ow, this hurts... I pick myself up. My head's throbbing... I can't concentrate like this...

Wait, it's already over here...?! It swings and hits me into the wall again—ow...! It swings once more, using the wall to keep me trapped. It keeps hitting me... D-dammit... I can't die... I can't die here...!

Something black hits the thing back. I fall to my knees, coughing. Finally... If she had kept that up, she would've killed me for sure... There's something wet on my chin... I wipe it and then look at my hand. Blood... I'm bleeding in more places than just that... My arms, my stomach... I think my head, too... My body aches all over and I feel kinda lightheaded... I lean back against the wall. This feels... comfortable... I want... to sleep...

"Chester...!"

"Onii-chan...!"

Right... I can't sleep now... I have to live... I have to beat this thing... Ami's waiting for me. Ami, Dad, Cless, Suzu, Milard, Mint... and Arche...

I use the wall to push myself up. I finally get a good look at what's going on. Shadow's fighting the Destroyer now. Oh good... I am _so_ glad Dad gave him to me now... I notch another arrow, letting Shadow take the front. I take aim... and release. "Dragon Slayer...!"

Dammit, the thing still doesn't even seem hurt...

The thing hits Shadow and—wait, is it absorbing him into the hammer...?! Crap...!

The Destroyer's dark aura grows. It holds its hammer out, pointing at me. It then—shoots?!

"Ah...!"

I fall back against the wall. I touch my stomach, where it hit. Blood... and... wait, now I'm glowing black...?! Ah, this hurts...! It feels like my body's being torn from the inside...

The Destroyer advances again. I have to move... I can't stay here...! I try running—ah... I trip and fall. Dammit all...

I roll onto my back and squint up at the thing. I can barely see through this darkness... There's Ami, raising a hammer...

"Now... for the 2896th kill..."

Right... the Destroyer... I can't... die... I can't...

Everything goes black...

"CHESTERRRRRRRR!"

----

"...asleep?"

"Yeah..."

"Klarth, you should be resting... You used up far too much mana."

"I'm fine."

"What about Shadow? Is he feeling better now?"

"I think. It's hard to tell with him."

Ow my head... Wait, I feel heavy... I'm still alive...?

"Ah, he's waking up...!"

"Chester..."

I open my eyes. Wow it's bright... I glance over at the others in the room—everyone's here, including Tim, Macaron, and Curtis...

"Good morning," Mint says.

"'Morning." I sit up. "What the hell happened...?"

"You destroyed it," Milard says as she holds up the cursed hammer.

"...Huh? But I fell unconscious..."

"It seems some of the mana that shot into you got caught in your bloodstream. You absorbed a little, and shot it at the Destroyer before passing out," Curtis explains. "Seems you got the machine that was making it run."

"...I did?"

"Though, as far as I know, humans can't absorb mana that easily... I mean, you obviously had a reaction with the mana shooting out of you like that, but it should've been... bigger. Are you a half elf?"

"No, I'm not..." Ack, maybe I should've said that I was... I can't tell him the truth, after all.

"A reaction? What do you mean?" Dad asks.

"When Sauound, Merilynn, and I got magic, we all had pretty big reactions to it. I was sparking for days, and couldn't get out of bed. I saw Sauound flaming that day... Well, I suppose I don't really know what happened with Merilynn exactly."

"Interesting..."

Come to think of it, my hand feels really warm. I glance down. A pink gloved hand is holding it. I glance up at the owner—Arche.

"W-what the hell...?!" I jump back, pulling my hand away—ow! I hit my head on the wall...

"Hm? Chester?"

"W-why in Martel's name were you..." Why does my face feel so hot...?!

She blinks and glances down at her hand. "Ah...! I-it's not like I wanted to...! You grabbed my hand when you were asleep and wouldn't let go! I couldn't even get up to eat! You're a jerk even _when_ asleep!"

Wha...?!

"Keh, you're lying...! I would never do something like that, even when asleep! Unless I thought you were a pretty girl, like Natalia..."

"You jerk!"

"Ditz!"

"Chester, Arche..." Cless speaks up.

"Keh."

"Hmph."

"Onii-chan..." Ami climbs up on the bed and hugs me.

"Ah... Hey." I hug her back. "You okay?"

"Onii-chan... When you had it pinned... why did you drop your weapon?"

Ack... She saw that...? "A-ah, I did? Must've been because of all the blood lose."

"That was before you lost much blood..."

"I was a little dizzy."

"...It was because it looked like me, wasn't it...? You got hurt because of me..."

"No... It wasn't because of you..." I pause, looking down at her. She's really worried... "...Ami... it wasn't you. But... I will admit I stalled. Would you give the final blow just like that if something looked like me or Cless?"

"Of course not...!"

"It's the same thing. Besides, even if I _had_ stabbed it, it would've kept going. You saw the arrow through its heart, right?"

"Y-yeah..."

"Hm... What would you have done... if it looked like me?" Dad asks curiously.

"...That's a tough one. It might be fun to kill, as revenge for your researching eccentrics."

"Hey now, that's just cold..."

"Glad to be of service."

"What if it looked like Arche, then?" he continues.

"Oh come on, that's a no brainer! I would've stabbed it!"

"You would have _what_?!"

Oops...

"You... stupid... dense... moronic... insensitive... brainless... tactless... _jerk_! Thunder Blade...!"

"Ow ow _ow_...!"

"Ch-Chester-san...! Arche-san...!" Mint charges up. "Heal!"

"Thanks..." Dammit Arche...

"Well, he's fine," Dad says.

"I just got Thunder Bladed!"

"You're arguing with Arche. You're fine."

"He has a point..." Dhaos pipes up.

"Shut it...!"

"Oh yeah. With how energetic he is, he's definitely fine... unfortunately," Tim adds.

"I'm not asking for your input!"

Curtis laughs. "Well, if you're feeling fine, time to get to that task I have for you?"

"Wait, but what about the tournament?" I ask.

"It's over."

"Over...?! How long have I been out...?!"

"Three days."

"Three days?!" I gape. No wonder I'm so hungry... But... "Who won?"

"I did," my kid sister speaks up.

"..._You_ won the tournament?"

"Since you weren't there for the finals, you lost automatically..."

"Who was your last fight against, then...?"

"Dhaos-san..."

"....You beat Dhaos? Seriously?" Of course, the battle I completely miss...

"She used Pow Hammer to stun me when I was out of the ring," Dhaos speaks up.

"Yep! But it's okay now; Dhaos didn't really care about winning, so we've made up!"

Heh heh... heh heh heh... I burst out laughing. "Ami beat Dhaos...! I wish I could've seen that...!"

"Eh...?!"

"Chester..."

"S-sorry... I'm done, really..." Heh heh... heh... Okay, need to stop laughing now...

"...He's _definitely_ fine," Milard speaks up.

"...We should find pact rings for Curtis now," the angel says coldly.

"Yeah. Tim found some information on them, so we'll head out after you've eaten and prepared," the prince explains.

"Right, thanks."

"Meet us at the entrance of town when you're ready." Curtis walks off with Tim and his fairy following.

I turn to my party. "Time for some food?"

"Definitely! I'm starving!" the witch states.

"I'm more worried about Chester being hungry... I'm surprised he hasn't turned into a wolf on us..." Dad points out.

"Yes, we should be careful... Here, Chester." Milard offers me an apple.

"An apple? You know I can't eat those..."

"You _can_ eat them, you just don't like them. But meat takes time to cook, and we need to get some food in you before you turn into a wolf and start attacking us. If you don't eat, you risk the rest of us."

...Keh... When she puts it like that, I can't really refuse. I take the apple. "Fine." I start eating... ick, this tastes pretty bad... But soon we'll have meat, right...? I keep eating.

"Let's go find a restaurant, then," Cless says. The rest of us nod, and Ami and I stand. We walk out of the inn, leaving our room keys with the innkeeper, and look for a restaurant. There's a stall selling some quick food... we hop in line.

"Nan! Nan, there you are! I've been looking all over for you!" I glance over at the loud voice. Hey, it's that Karol kid that Ami fought... "Did you see my fights?!"

He's talking to a young girl with short, brown hair. A little of it's up in a high ponytail. She turns to the boy and looks down at him disdainfully. "Hmph. I did. They were shamefully disappointing. How could you allow that tiny little girl to defeat you so easily?!"

Hey, that 'tiny little girl' is my sister... And I bet she could beat _you_, too.

"S-she was a lot tougher than she looked...! And she had weird moves; nothing like what I've seen before...!"

"Oh please, you're just being a coward again!" She jabs her finger into his chest. "A true warrior can adapt to any circumstances in battle! That's how they grow and evolve! And after I took time out of my own training to teach you my best arte... You didn't listen to a word I said, did you?"

"I did! I listened to all of it!" The poor kid's loosing it. Geez that girl's harsh... "I... I'm sorry, Nan... Next time I'll do better, I promise!"

She folds her arms haughtily. "You'll have to do a lot better than that... From now on, you should train twice as long every day! And no meals until you've finished!"

"E-ehh?! But that's impossible...!"

"It's not if you want to become strong!"

"Ah... B-but I..."

She looks away. I can see a frown on her face now. "I... only like strong men like master..." She walks off.

Huh... That was a little... unsettling. I don't know why, but that scene kinda bugs me... Probably because that girl insulted my sister just to pick on that kid... I think... That last line didn't make much sense, though...

"Chester? Is something wrong?" Cless asks.

"No, nothing."

Anyway, we finally reach the front. They're selling shish kabobs, so we each order one. Well, except me... I'm starving. I get two with only meat. After paying, we find some benches and sit down.

"So, Suzu owes us a Devil's Arms story," I point out.

"I do. Are you ready to hear that now?"

"Yeah."

"The Devil's Arms were soon split up. Since they could not be destroyed individually, The ninja took the Fafnir to the elves. For years, they could do nothing. Eventually, they returned it to the ninja, believing it safer in their care after it was almost stolen. Years later, the ninja managed to gather classified information that someone had created items to counteract the Devil's Arms. However, no one has ever seen them."

"So if we find those, we can destroy the Devil's Arms, right?" Cless questions.

"I'm uncertain."

"Hm... Interesting... We'll have to ask Sardon to research that," Dad suggests. "Speaking of, Chester, Sardon called while you were asleep."

"Aw, I missed a chance to tease him?"

"You'll get to tease him in person soon. He's found the temple, but it's laden with traps. We're going to go take a look after we're done in this country."

"Sounds good. Let's go help Curtis and finish up here, then!" The others nod at my suggestion, and we quickly finish our food and head for the city gate. The prince, the kid, and the fairy are there waiting for us.

"Are you ready now?" Curtis asks.

"Yes," Cless answers for us.

"All right, then we're going to Lone Valley. Hyouko said there are rumors of a pact ring being there," Tim explains.

"Right." Lone Valley... Heh, that's where I first saw Arche and Mint after I lost my memory. Arche lives there in our time...

Come to think of it, that's also where Raine and I got caught... I wonder how Raine and the other rebels are doing. It's probably a good thing they didn't come with us, considering we've met their past selves... But then again, we've also met _our_ past selves, so I guess it doesn't really matter that much.

"Ow! H-hey!" I look up at the front of the party. Heh, looks like Tim just got hit by Ami's Pow Hammer.

"Oops! S-sorry..."

"I think you need to work on location..." Curtis tells the kid, a grin on his face.

"Are you okay, Master?" Macaron asks.

"I'm fine..."

Heh... "Hey, Ami, nice aim!"

"O-Onii-chan...!"

"It was not, you stupid mutt!"

"Mutt?"

Ack... Keh, stupid Tim...

"Ah... Y-yeah, he's as stupid as a mutt, so..."

"I'm not the stupid one here. That's Arche."

"HEY! Don't drag me into this, you jerk!"

"Heh, you guys sure are lively," Curtis says. Oh good, looks like he bought it...

"Oh trust me, they haven't even started yet," Dad speaks up. "Wait until Arche and Chester get going, or Chester starts yelling at Dhaos..."

"Hey, why am I in both of those?"

"Well you _do_ start it sometimes."

"I do not!"

"So do you guys all work with the ninja?" Curtis asks. "It's unusual for them to have so many helping them that aren't from their village... The only two of you that seem even a little like ninja are Suzu and Tim."

"I am a ninja," Suzu says.

"Well that explains that one. What about you, Tim? Why don't you take that cloak off now?"

"I've trained with the ninja! And I won't take it off if I don't want to!"

I glance over at the kid. Come to think of it, he actually lost the match so his face wouldn't be seen... Is it really that big of a deal? Just who _is_ he? Is he a wanted criminal or something...? I should probably tell the others about this later; I doubt they heard our little conversation.

"You sure are stubborn... Why do you travel with him, Macaron?" The prince continues asking questions.

"Master is really kind. I like traveling with him."

"Even though he... 'kidnapped' you?" Eh...? What's Curtis talking about...?

"I don't mind. I wasn't even awake much before Master found me. But he lets me do as I wish."

"Interesting..."

"What's going on? What do you mean 'kidnapped'?" I ask.

"I've heard of Macaron. She was owned by scientists before... The facility was destroyed, and the fairy disappeared. I'm guessing you destroyed it, Tim?"

"And what if I did?"

"Hm... That would make you a criminal of the state... Charged with theft of property, destruction of a government facility, treason, possible espionage..."

"I... I get the picture! ...Are you going to arrest me, then?"

"Nah," the prince says, putting his hands behind his head. "No one died in that, so it's not as bad as it could've been. And you're helping me right now. Can't say what I'll do after we're done with this, but if you're good, I might make it official word that Macaron was a present to you."

"...Eh? Why?"

"Why indeed..."

...I really don't get this prince... He's a _complete_ opposite of Sauound. That guy would've probably locked Tim up as soon as possible.

"Anyway, I'd rather hear your side of things before you're locked up in some jail to rot away," Curtis finishes.

Tim pauses, surprised. I'm kinda surprised, too... He's being very open for a prince who's just found a pretty big criminal.

"So what was with that Destroyer thing, anyway? You said that it was a cursed weapon... but why are you gathering them?" questions the prince.

"We're gathering them all so we can destroy them," Suzu explains.

"Hm... so how many do you have so far?"

"Four."

"Out of?"

"Nine."

"So you're almost halfway there!"

"I just hope none of the others are like that one..." Ami comments.

"Agreed."

"The others weren't, so it's unlikely."

"What happened to it?"

"It was hooked up to some magitech in some labs... _That's_ the kind of magitech research you guys are doing. And you saw what it brought," Tim reprimands the prince.

"Hm... So you _are_ doing this for a good motive... Well, that's good to hear."

"...What's _with_ you?! You're the weirdest prince ever!"

In response to the cloaked boy, Curtis just laughs.

"Hey! Don't laugh at me!"

"Sorry, sorry."

"I think somehow the party's gotten more lively... It really is nice to be young..."

"Yeah, agreed. I forgot how lively young people are! It's much more relaxing," Curtis agrees. He looks to be about Dad's age, come to think of it... another old man.

"Honestly, you're not that old yet... And besides, you contribute to a bit of it, Klarth," Milard adds.

To which Dad chuckles. "Ahahahaha... Maybe I do."

"Dhaos-san, how old are you?" my kid sister asks.

"Twenty-five."

"No way... You look a lot older..."

"Hm... By Aselian years, I suppose I would be about... one hundred twenty-five."

"Eh?!"

"...You're older than even Dad... You're ancient..."

"By Aselian years, maybe. However, angels age slower than humans," Dhaos says. "A year takes longer in Derris-Kharlan."

"Wow...! That's so cool..."

"Hm... it certainly is interesting... Maybe you could tell us some more of Derris-Kharlan on the way," Dad suggests.

"I think that'll have to wait," Milard says. "We're here."

We look at the entrance of the valley. It's very foggy here... and something seems kinda—

A loud roar fills the area. It shakes the ground, making rocks fall from the cliffs ahead. Birds quickly take to the air and fly away, while small animals find a place to hide and cower in fear. I don't blame them... What on Aselia... _made_ that kind of sound...?!

**Chester gained the title of Destroyer Destroyer. It is a title given to one who destroyed the machine that made the destroyer move.**

**Ami gained the title of Cute Champion. The one who won the tournament... she is the cutest champion of champions.**

**Everyone joined the party.**

**Tim joined the party.**

**Curtis joined the party.**


	74. Energized Demon

**Well, I took last month off of this story for NaNoWriMo. For those that don't know, November's the National Novel Writing Month, where the participants aim for writing 50,000 words in 30 days. So I was working on an original story idea (though the main character of it is based off of Sauound from this story... I have **_**so**_** many RP, Teishi, and Norse references crammed into that story) for that. I got about half way and then... I couldn't figure out what to do next, so I couldn't finish. Oh well, I'll be more prepared next year.**

**But, now that that's done, I can concentrate on Teishi again. This chapter was fun, especially Arche's joke near the end (thank you, David, for the suggestion!). And soon after that, Reesis (vampire from Summoner's Lineage) sneezed somewhere in the future.**

**And a note on the map—I personally don't like the way they converted over in Dawn of the New World. I've studied the maps before then, and the way they put it together makes little sense to me. So, while I love that game, I'm following my own layout of how I think Sylvarant and Tethe'alla should connect to form Aselia.**

**Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter! I just finished finals, and I'm quite bored throughout the day, so hopefully I'll get the next chapter done soon!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Tales games. They're owned by Namco Bandai.**

**And in response to ShugoAddict-san: Thank you for the review! The reason I did them separately is because Tim and Curtis joined later than the rest... I just show everything at the end in an orderly fashion. I guess it's kinda weird at times, but... so am I, so it all works out. :D Anyway, thank you again!**

**--****Energized Demon****--**

We walk into the valley. It's hard to see through the fog, but it's definitely different from my time...

"Here we are," Tim says. "The Lone Valley Cliffs."

Huh, seems even the name's changed a little... but it definitely has cliffs now. There's one right in front of us—isn't this the clearing where Arche's house is in our time? The cliff here now seems to be cutting it in half. There looks to be a ramp up to the right, but how far, I can't tell...

"Hope none of you are scared of ghosts. They say that the ghost of a lonely maiden still cries out for company," Curtis explains.

"E-eh...?!" Ami looks worried. Heh, she's gotten braver on this journey, but looks like she still can't take a ghost story.

"What, scared?" I tease.

"N-no...!"

"Maybe that loud roar was—"

"Onii-chan...! Stop it...!"

"Chester, be nice to your sister," Dad says as I laugh.

"Ami-chan," Milard speaks up, "there's no need to be afraid. We've fought a lot worse, right?"

"R-right... We can handle anything...!"

"All right, let's go, then!" Curtis leads the way to the ramp, and we follow. It's kinda narrow... Curtis and Cless take the lead, with Ami and Suzu following behind them. Tim and Dhaos are bringing up the rear, so we should be fine if we're attacked from behind...

We soon reach a fork in the road, which we take to the left. We head straight past another turn, and to the left again on the next. Now we're right next to the side of a much taller cliff. I can't even tell how far up it goes...

"There should be an entrance around here somewhere..." Curtis speaks up as he watches the wall. "Ah, there it is." Sure enough, there's a tunnel just ahead. We walk inside. "Have any lanterns in that pack?"

"Here..." Milard pulls it out of the pack and hands it over.

"How come that pack never seems to get any bigger, no matter what we get...?" I ask as Arche lights the thing.

"How indeed..."

Keh, I'll find out one of these days... And why's it still foggy in here? It's even worse than outside...

"What's with all of this fog...?" the swordsman asks as we start walking through the caves.

"It's always like this. Some think it's part of the lone maiden's curse," the prince explains.

"Curse...?"

"Oh right, I didn't get to that—I think we're going right here." We turn down the right path and continue down the dark tunnels.

I hear lots of sounds—monsters, probably. I really don't like this place...

"Anyway," the prince continues, "it's said that she leads people to their doom so she won't be lonely anymore."

I glance at a pile of bones as we walk. I see what he means... Luckily it's so foggy that Ami hasn't noticed...

"Ah..." She's still scared about the story, though.

"I'm sure we can handle whatever these caves throw at us, though. That's why I asked you guys to come along—you're more capable than most of the knights. And definitely more interesting than any of them."

"Let's just shut up and walk..." Tim snaps. "My head is killing me..."

"Last I checked, you weren't the prince here," I point out.

"Like you would follow Curtis' orders anyway..." Dad points out. "And I must admit, my head is hurting some, too..."

"So is mine..." Arche whines.

"Mine is, too," Milard agrees.

"Maybe we should take a break..." the cleric suggests.

"What, you, too?" I ask.

"Yes..."

"Now that you guys mention it, my head hurts a little, too..." Cless speaks up.

What on Aselia's going on around here...?! I look at Curtis.

"Yeah, I feel something coming on, too..."

Ami falls to her knees, holding her head. "Ah..."

"Ami...!" I run over to her and kneel down next to her.

"Suzu, you look pretty pale... You should sit down..." Suzu, too...?! Well, Milard has her... I have my kid sister to take care of.

"Let's rest..." Dad says as he sits down.

"Right..." I sit down as well and lay Ami down. I glance around at the others. Dhaos and Macaron are the only two who haven't said anything about their head hurting... "Macaron, how are you holding up?"

"I'm fine... I'm just worried about Master..." Huh... I wonder if it's because she's a fairy... I turn my attention to Dhaos next. "Let me guess—your head hurts as well."

"...Yes."

"What about you, Chester?" Dad asks.

I pause. Well my head definitely doesn't hurt, but... "...Actually... I feel better than ever... Like I have a lot more power than usual..."

"That's strange... I can understand it taking longer for me and Cless, since we have high constitution..." Curtis says.

Yeah, that is strange... Why only me...?

Wait... This feeling... This is... I hand Ami over to Cless and stand. "We have to get out of here. Cless, you're gonna have to take Ami."

"Is it a full moon...?"

"No, and that's the weird thing. I'm definitely—"—...about to change... Well, I guess now they know anyway. So much for keeping this from Curtis...

"What the...?!"

"We'll explain later," Cless speaks up as he stands, carrying Ami. "For now, let's take Chester's advice and get out of here. Which way?"

Everyone else stands as well, with Suzu forcing herself to walk on her own.

"I'm not sure... I've never been this far in before."

"Chester, I'm sorry to ask this, but..."

Yeah, yeah... I sniff around. Ugh, everything's so... muggy in here... I can't tell. I shake my head to let them know.

"We'll just have to guess, then... Let's hurry."

We head off straight down the path, walking as fast as we can so we don't leave Suzu behind.

"So... Chester's a werewolf?" Curtis speaks up.

"Yes..."

"Considering how it affected him compared to the rest of us... I think this is demonic mist," Dad suggests.

"Demonic... I've heard about places being weaker to the barrier that separates our world from the demon realm, Niflheim..."

"Maybe this is one of those places! That could be the reason for those ghost stories!" Arche speaks up.

Wait, ahead... I see light...! I take off running to show them that we're almost out. I hear them hurrying behind me.

All right, we're out... Looks like we made it all pretty far up. There's barely any mist up here... I feel that power rush fading already. I concentrate and change back to a human. I then turn back to the others as they exit. "How's Ami?"

"Not well... We'll have to find another way down," Cless answers.

"Well, let's hope this is the ring..." Curtis walks over towards a treasure chest on the far end of the cliff.

That roar sounds again—ow, that hurts my ears... The prince opens the chest.

"...Anyone want a holy bottle?"

"I'll put it in the pack," Milard offers as she walks over.

"I guess that means we have to go up..." I glance at the cliff. "This isn't going to be easy to climb..."

"I can go find the ring," Arche suggests.

"Go alone? With that loud roar? Are you nuts? ...Wait, don't answer that..."

"Jerk! Fine then, how do you expect to get up?"

"There's a rope over here," Macaron speaks up from the other side of the cave entrance.

"I'd say that's how."

"Shut up! It's not like you found it!" Arche says.

"I don't think that matters."

"Whatever, you jerk! I'll still make it up faster than you!"

"Think you could take Ami with you?" Normally, a competition with her might be fun, but...

"Ah... Okay..." She takes my sister from Cless and starts slowly flying up.

"Don't do anything crazy!" I call up.

"I won't...!"

I suppose I have to leave it in her hands... She may be reckless, but... I trust her.

Dhaos also flies up, while the rest of us climb the rope. It leads us to another small cliff with a rope going even further up; we take it. I can see the top now... We're almost there. There's a slope on this next part, which leads us straight up to the top. Finally...

The two fliers land next to us, and Ami stands.

"Ami, are you sure you should be up yet...?"

"I'm fine. I'm feeling a lot better. Thank you, Onii-chan!"

"Don't push yourself..."

"I won't!" she says with a smile.

"That must be the ring," the prince speaks up. There's a treasure chest on the far side of the cliff. Curtis starts walking over.

The roar sounds, making the place shake violently. Dammit that hurts...!

T-that is... a dragon...?!

"What in Martel's name..."

"I think it's hungry..."

"Everyone, get ready...!"

The dragon roars again before shooting fire at the prince—he jumps back just in time. This isn't going to be easy... I pull my bow out and notch an arrow on it. I take aim.

"Dragon Slayer!"

The spell casters start charging up as the fighters rush forward through the smoke to attack the creature. I notch and shoot another arrow.

"Jiraiya...!" Suzu calls forth her large frog to attack the dragon with its own fire.

"Twin Palm Strike...!" the angel attacks the thing from above—pretty smart, for him.

"Giga Fang!"

"Beast Swallow Ki—ah...!" The dragon flaps its wings, sending all of the fighters save the large prince flying back; he threw Arche and Mint off as well...

"Power Seal...!"

"I summon thee... Come, Origin!" All right, that'll hurt it! The dragon yelps in pain before shooting more fire at us—ow, it got me... Keh, I notch another arrow.

"Wild Rain...!"

"Cyclone!" Tim uses a wind spell on it before rushing in with his fists. He, Cless, and Suzu again join Curtis up front, who's still whacking at the thing with his hammer.

"Dhaos-san! Use Dragon Blast!" my sister calls out as she rushes up to the dragon.

"Understood."

That stupid angel runs up with her. They both swing up—Ami with her hammer and Dhaos with his fist—"Double Dragon Burst!" That knocks the wind out of the thing, and it falls to the ground.

"You stupid humans..." I hear it growl as it picks itself back up. We're not done yet...! It swings its claw at Ami—"Piercing Line!" It howls and retracts its bleeding hand. It shoots more fire at us—dammit...!

"Holy Song...!" That feels better... My body's still aching, though. That thing hits way too hard...

"Ah...!" Its tail slams into Tim, throwing him off the cliff—he manages to grab the side with one hand.

"Master...!"

"Earthquake...!" Dammit Arche, now Tim's—

She zooms by on her broom and goes to rescue the hooded kid. Good... I turn my attention back to the dragon. "Glimmer Shot!"

"To the light that shines like the heavens, hear my call... To the gates of the underworld, open up and hear thy call..." This magic circle... from Curtis...?! "Come forth, Lightning of the gods! Indignation!" A large blast of lightning shoots down from the sky, slamming into the dragon—it howls and stumbles back, sparks shooting all over it. It slips and falls of the cliff—we soon hear it slam into the ground below.

"So you can use magic, too..." Dad says.

"Y-yeah..." Curtis sways. "I feel a little dizzy now, though... Mind if we rest here for lunch?"

"That's fine. I'll start on something right away," Mint offers. The large man sighs and sits down. He must be sick, like Sauound...

"I'll help!" Arche says as she sets Tim down.

"Uh... Hey, Arche, why don't you go get that ring?" Come on distraction...

"Why do I have to do it? You can, too!"

"No I can't; it's silver."

"Ah... Fine," she huffs as she flies over to the chest. She jumps off her broom and works on opening the treasure chest. Suzu walks over to help her.

Mint and Milard start putting together food, while everyone else settles down. The swordsman walks over to the cliff and stares out across the valley. I walk over to him.

"Hey. You okay?"

"I'm fine. I'm glad we were able to get out of that tunnel safely..."

"Same here... I wonder if that really was demonic mist..."

"It must be, right? Still... Ami really worried me back there. And then she joined in the fight..."

"Yeah, I know... I need to give her a scolding later."

"Good idea. I'll leave that to you, then."

"Thanks for taking care of her, Cless..."

"You don't need to thank me for that. I've grown up with you two... You're like family to me."

"Yeah, I know..."

"Hm...? There's something caught in the rocks..." Cless walks over to a small group of rocks and picks something up. A doll...? It's not finished... Looks like a weird rodent head or something... "I wonder if someone's missing this..."

"Possibly. Let's give it to Milard to put in the pack."

"Agreed. Hopefully we'll find the owner soon."

I take it from Cless and walk towards Milard... Wait, Ami looks worried. I stop by her first.

"Where did it go...?!" She franticly looks through the pack. "That doll for Cless-san..."

...Ah ha... So _that's_ what this is... I walk over and hold it down in front of her face. "What exactly is it supposed to be? A deformed rabbit?"

"Ah...! Onii-chan, you found it...!" She snatches the head and hugs it, happy. "And it's not a deformed rabbit!"

"Then what is it?"

"I'm not sure yet... I just know I want it to be something cute. I'm code naming it Zapie."

"Code naming...? For making a doll...?"

"Cless-san can't know about it! So this way I can talk to Dad and Milard about it without anyone else knowing. And you now, too!"

"Right..." Oops... I wonder if I should tell her... Probably. "You know he saw it already, right?"

"E-eh...?!"

"He's the one that found it. But, he doesn't know that you're making it for him, so it's still a surprise."

"Ah... D-do you think it'll be okay...?"

"Well, the finished thing can't look any worse than it does now..."

"Onii-chan...!"

I laugh and pat her head. She quickly stuffs the doll head in the bag before Cless looks over and realizes it's hers.

"Food's ready," Mint speaks up. We gather around and the girls pass out sandwiches and some kind of fruit juice. It tastes kinda like medicine to me...

Looks like Arche and Suzu have gotten the pact ring from the treasure chest by now. The prince stares at it before tucking it away in a pouch. That was the sardonyx ring... I think that's... Volt? "So, Tim, where are we going next?"

"There's an island to the north... I heard that a geyser used to be there. There may be another ring there as well."

"The Thoda Geyser, right? I heard about that in our history... Well, sounds good. There's a small port town north of here that we can catch a ship from."

Too bad our ship crashed... It'd be nice to have that about now... or just one more Rheaird...

"A geyser... Interesting..." Dad mumbles.

"It gets even more interesting. I heard that in the past, they used to ride washtubs over to it."

"...Washtubs? Seriously?" I ask.

"Yeah, I know. Meanwhile, the other half of the world had magitech..."

"That's... pretty pathetic..." I guess we haven't been to that time yet... Who in their right mind would ride to an island in a washtub?

"Well, I feel better now. Thanks for the food," Curtis says as we finish up.

"It wasn't a problem at all," the cleric tells him. We quickly pack up and walk over to the edge of the cliff.

"Now time to get down..."

"You know... If someone doubled up on Arche's broom, we could ride the Rheairds all the way to the island," Dad suggests. "That'd also solve our problem of getting down from here without going through the tunnel."

"Rheairds...?"

"These." I pull out the wing pack and make the Rheairds appear on the top of the cliff. "Well whoever goes with Arche can't weigh too much..."

"I will go with her," Suzu offers.

"Good idea! I don't get to do enough with you!" Arche says happily as she hops on her broom and floats over to the ninja. Suzu gets on behind the witch.

"Ami-chan, would you like to ride with me?" Mint offers.

"Okay! Can I drive?"

"Sure."

"Curtis, Tim, you two should ride with Cless and Chester—they can drive," my father suggests.

"Okay. I'll ride with Cless, then—we can talk about fighting techniques on the way."

"That sounds good to me," Cless says.

"That means I'm stuck with the weird cloaked kid..."

"I don't wanna ride with this mutt!" Tim protests.

"I'll ride with Tim," Milard offers. "Klarth, if you're driving, take off your pact rings; in case Chester starts falling again."

"I will..."

"Yeah, I don't really want to be burned again."

"So it's true that werewolves get burned by silver?" Curtis asks curiously.

"Unfortunately... Anyway, let's get going." We all get on the Rheairds, and Dad makes sure to take off his rings as promised.

We shoot off into the air and, with Tim's direction, head towards the island with the next ring. If we're lucky, anyway.

Hey, that location... Isn't that the island where we met Rhea—or should I say Norn? It looks completely different in this time... It's brighter, and has more water and less trees. We land on the beach and get off the Rheairds. I return them to my wing pack, and we look around.

"There—in the cliffs. There's a cave... If it doesn't have mist, that's probably our best bet."

"Let's be more careful this time," Cless says, and we start walking that way.

"Let me go in first," I offer as we approach the entrance. They move out of the way and I walk in. Well, I don't see any mist... nor do I feel any different. I call back to them, "Clear."

Everyone enters. We light the lantern again and walk down the tunnel. Looks like this was once a man-made structure... but now it's mostly destroyed. Luckily, it's a one-way path. Though, it's quite curvy... Rocks have fallen down all over, cutting off old paths and creating new ones. I just hope it's not a dead end...

"Ah... My head..." Wait, Arche...?! I glance back at her to see her holding her head in pain.

"Arche, what's wrong? Is it the mist...?"

"I'm feeling it, too..." Dad says. Oh no...

"Ah..." Ami clings to a wall with one hand and holds her head with the other.

"This is the same as last time..." Tim adds.

Dammit all...! "Okay, we need to get out of here quickly. Ami, can you walk...?" I hurry over to her.

Wait, she's... laughing...?! "Ami...?!"

Arche bursts out laughing—she almost falls off her broom. Tim and Dad laugh as well.

"...Okay, what the hell's going on here?"

"You fell for it...!" the half elf gasps between giggles.

"...You four did that on purpose..."

"Here..." Ami barely manages to get out as she passes me a sheet of paper. It's in Arche's handwriting—it reads: "Pretend like your head's hurting to freak Chester out! If you don't want to participate, keep quiet!"

"...Arche!"

She laughs harder.

"Oh you are _so_ gonna pay for this..."

"Hey hey, this is payback for you pretending to go wild on me!"

"You already got me one with our match in the tournament!"

"Fine, fine~! Then let's see what you have, fox-wolf!"

"It'll be so much better than anything you could do, you little weasel!"

"Heehee... You should've seen the look on your face!"

"Oh shut up...! Let's just get that stupid ring and get out of here!" Keh, stupid girl... I'm gonna get her back for this!

We walk through the tunnel, with the clowns still laughing some behind me. Things are getting narrower... Looks like we'll be reaching the end soon.

Speaking of, there's the dead end. And looks like there's a treasure chest freshly buried under some rocks...

"That must be our chest. Stand back; I'll handle this." Curtis steps up and easily moves the rocks out of the way. He then opens the chest to reveal another ring. The aquamarine ring this time... So this is where Undine used to be, then... "Well, that was easier."

"Yeah, I doubt any dragons can fit back here."

"I'm sure a vampire could live here if they wanted, though," Arche jokes. "That might be a hard match for Chester, anyway!"

"Oh shut up. I could handle any vampire."

"That would be an interesting match..." Dad says.

"Come on, vampires are just dressed up zombies. Not to mention dead. I'm alive and proud of it."

"Doesn't that mean that you die easier?" Tim speaks up.

"Nah. According to the myths, a vampire can't even walk out into the _sun_ without getting burned. If that's true, I can only wonder how they ever get around..."

"That's a good point... I suppose if there _were_ any vampires, they'd probably confine themselves to Arlee if that's true... But there's also the possibility that that's just a myth... I'd love to meet one and find out," Dad says.

"You have fun with that. I'm not vampire hunting with you."

We exit the tunnel. "Well, did the ninja tell you about any more, Tim?"

"Yeah, just one more location... This one's south of Yggdrasil."

"Then let's get going." I bring the Rheairds out, and we lift up into the air and start flying. Just one more stop...

**Chester gained the title of Energized Demon. I don't have a headache; quite opposite, actually—I feel better than ever!**

**Ami gained the title of Secret Doll Maker. It's a title given to one who's secretly making a doll for an important person.**


	75. Epic Battler

**You can blame Graces for my delay this time. But that was such a great game~**

**Also, Alexia belongs to David. Since I'm not doing any other of your cameos... :D Hope this satisfies you! And thank you, David, for helping me with her part!**

**I've finally hit page 600! So as a reward, sit back, enjoy, and get ready for the ultimate showdown of ultimate destiny!**

**Disclaimer: Same as always. I don't own the Tales series. It's owned by Namco Bandai.**

**--Epic Battler--**

We land outside a mansion. "Here? Are you sure?" It doesn't look like anyone's living here, but...

"What, scared?" the cloaked kid taunts.

"Of course not! What's this supposed to be, anyway? Some kind of haunted mansion?"

"Bingo!"

"Ah..." Ami clings to Milard's dress, scared. This could be fun, but... I'll have to keep an eye on her and make sure she doesn't freak herself out too much. A little bit is fine, as long as I'm the one doing it.

"Don't worry, Ami-chan. We'll all be together," Milard comforts her.

"M-mm..."

"I don't know... the mana around this place feels kinda weird..." the half elf speaks up.

"What do you mean 'weird'?" Cless questions.

"There's something in there... but it's not human... or elf..."

"...Everyone, be on guard. Hopefully we won't run into it..."

"Right."

Cless takes point, and we slowly enter the desolate mansion. It's dark and dusty in here... not to mention it smells terrible...

The door slams shut behind us, making Ami jump. Mint tries the doors, but they don't budge.

"We're stuck..."

I glance around. She's right... all the windows are barred up. "Well great... Looks like we'll have to deal with that weird thing after all," I mutter.

"Ah..." Ami...

"Let's take a look around first. Maybe there's a switch somewhere," the prince suggests.

"Right." We start exploring the first floor, sticking to the right. The first room is the dining room... nothing special in here. We check around the dust and cobwebs to make sure. Yep, nothing.

Next we have... the kitchen. This room smells the worst... I think this is going to make me sick... "I'm gonna be in the hallway... I can't stand this smell..."

"All right. Don't go too far," Dad says.

"I won't." I exit the room. Well, hopefully they'll finish up soon... So far this is just a dusty old mansion. The only weird thing that happened was the door... I wonder why that's not opening. I walk over to check it out. I grab the handle and pull—it doesn't budge. Maybe it's stuck...?

"Come play with me..."

What was that...? I glance around—there's no one here... Maybe I was just hearing things. Anyway, I have to get this door moving...

"Don't you want to play...?"

That voice again... I hear something moving... It sounds like it's coming from upstairs... I grab my bow and slowly walk towards the stairs. "Who's there...?"

The voice—a girl's voice—giggles. It's above me. That chandler is—oh hell no...! I jump out of the way right before the thing crashes to the ground. Ow... That was a little too close...

"Chester?!" The others come hurrying.

"What happened?" Dad asks.

"This place is falling apart." I jerk a thumb back at the fallen chandler.

Hm...? What's that sound...? It's like something's falling—the floor falls out—what in Martel's name...?!

"Chester...!"

Something grabs my wrist—"I've got you—ah...!"

"Ow!" I hit the ground, and Arche lands on top of me. "Dammit, Arche! What the hell kind of save was that?!"

"Ow... It's not _my_ fault you're so heavy!"

"You didn't have to fall on _top_ of me!"

"Shut up! At least I tried to—"

That giggling again...

"...What's that...?"

"I don't know... but I heard it upstairs, too..." I stand and glance up. I can't see a thing... It's even darker down here than it was up there... "Think you can fly us up?"

"I can't even see you properly... Flying up would be..."

"Right, right... Then we'll have to find another way up."

"Okay... Let me just find my broom..."

"You lost your broom?"

"Shut up...! Do you see it? You have better eyes than me..."

Hm... It's really hard for me to see, too... Wait, that might be it... Yeah, that feels like it. "Here it is."

"Ah, thanks...! ...Wait, where are you?"

"...This is hopeless..." I walk over and push the broom into her hands. "How are we going to get anywhere if you can't keep up?"

"It's not my fault... There's no light or anything..."

I sigh and grab her hand. "Come on, stay close to me." I turn and start walking. Hopefully this way won't be a dead end...

"Ah... Right." Her grip tightens. "Thanks, Chester..."

"Why are you thanking me? You're the klutz that got yourself stuck down here."

"Shut up, you jerk!"

Hm...? Is it just me, or did something move...? I stop to watch the shadows.

"Chester...?"

"Ah... it's nothing." Guess it was just me...

"Won't you come find me...?" that voice again...

"Who's that...?"

"Got me... But we're staying away from it; last time I followed it, a chandler attacked me."

"You can run all you want... but you can't hide! You can't beat me in hide-and-go-seek~! I can still see you, little wolf~!" Wait a sec... how does that voice know...?!

"Chester..."

"I know..." I stop and glance around. I don't like this one bit...

"Don't you want to play...? You're already marked with death, you know~!"

"Sorry, been there, done that. Death doesn't like me very much..." I can't see anything... Whatever this thing is, it definitely has the advantage...

Wait, there's something moving... A lot of things, actually... Coming this way...! "Arche, run...!" I take off the opposite way, pulling her with me. That clattering sound... something tells me we don't want to find out what it is...

Ow—dammit, a dead end!

"Chester, what's going on?"

"We're being chased by something—use a spell!"

"What spell?!"

"I don't know—any spell!"

"Oh, fine! Just stay back!"

"Wait! Don't cave us in!"

"I won't!" She concentrates, and a magic circle appears in front of her, lighting up the hallway. Those are... skeletons...?! And a ton of them, too... I'm not sure my arrows will be good for stopping the undead... But maybe if I'm a wolf...

"I'm gonna try something a little new..." the witch mutters.

"I don't think now's the time for trying something new; or did you miss the fact that we're completely outnumbered?!"

"Blazes of fire, come forth...!"

"Any time you're ready..."

"Don't rush me!"

"I don't think the skeletons are waiting!"

"EXPLODE!" A burst of fire jets out from the middle of them—I quickly grab Arche and pull her behind me, turning my back to the explosion. Ow, some of the fire got me...

"Arche! Don't use a huge spell in a small space!"

"You wanted me to wipe them out!"

"Yeah, without trying to kill us in the process!"

"Oh, shut up! You're such a jerk! Why'd I have to get stuck with you anyway?!"

Ugh, I don't believe this stupid girl...! "You're the one who failed to catch me! And I'm just trying to survive here!"

"Oh yeah, because you're an _expert_ on how to survi—" I put my hand over her mouth. I hear something... I look back. Yeah, there's definitely something moving—

Ah...!

"Chester!"

Ugh, this hurts...

"Chester, hang on... I'll use another spell..."

There's no time for that... I use the wall to push myself away and turn into a wolf. If I just watch for movement—there! I attack, trying to tear the bones apart. That should stop this one from moving... There's another! If I can keep going like this...

Ah...! Right, there are others...

"Ray...!" Ow, that hurts my eyes... Wait, I think it completely destroyed the ones it hit. All right, if she can keep that up... then I can be the distraction for her! I push myself up and leap at another standing pile of bones. Ow, ow... Come on Arche, any time now...!

Wait, one's going after her—I can't get to her with all of these on me...!

"Burning Hammer...!" A fiery hammer hits that skeleton on the head, making it fall to pieces.

"Come, Jiraiya...!" A burst of flames lights the area, turning a few skeletons to dust.

"Take this...! Photon...!"

"Ray...!"

There goes the last of them...

"Ami, Suzu, Dhaos...!"

Oh yeah, Arche, don't even ask if I'm okay... I change back into a human. Suzu's using a ninja spell card thingy to make a flame. It's enough to finally see...

"Onii-chan...!" Ami runs over and hugs me. She's... trembling...

"Wow, so you can fight skeletons after all! And here I thought you'd be useless if something attacked us..."

"I-I didn't want you... to become a skeleton..."

Ami... I pat her head. "Come on, have some faith in your older brother!"

"Where's everyone else?" Arche asks.

"We got separated," the angel responds.

"We noticed a turn a short ways back... Perhaps there's a way up that way," Suzu suggests.

"Right, let's get going." Ami's still scared, so I grab her hand and lead the way. She really shouldn't be here... but, it's too late for that now. She's made it quite apparent that she's not leaving... so I'm going to protect her, no matter what. I refuse to lose my only little sister...

That's why...

"Ah, I see the path...!" Arche jogs ahead and peeks around the corner. "Suzu, hurry up with that light!"

She doesn't hurry. The rest of us get there and stare down the hall. There's a door... I walk over and open it. Ah ha, there are stairs going up here!

"Yay, we found stairs!"

"Now let's find the others." We walk upstairs. There's another door at the end... I open that up. This looks to be the servant's quarters... We enter.

The door slams shut behind us—wait—"Arche...!" She's still down there! I grab the handle and try to open it—it won't budge...! "Arche!"

"Chester...!"

"Arche, hang on, we'll get this door open..." I turn to the others—surely there's something—"Dhaos! Can you break this door down?!"

"I'll try. Move."

"Arche, stand back," I call through the door before moving out of the way.

Dhaos punches the door—it still doesn't budge.

"No..."

"I...I'll try," my sister speaks up as she lets go of my hand. She grabs her hammer and walks to the door, raising it up above her head. She swings it down on the door, hard.

Nothing happens. This isn't good...

"Arche! Are you still there?"

"I am... But I hear something..."

"What do you mean 'something'?!" I walk over and put my ear against the door. Wait... that sound... Don't tell me there's more...

"O-okay, hold on! We're going to get you outta there!" There's no way she can take those skeletons again...

"Move. I'll try something else," Dhaos speaks up.

"Right..." I move out of the way.

"Ah...!"

"Arche...!"

"Impact!"

There's a flash of light, and the door gets blasted away. Ugh, that smoke... I cough. "Arche!" I turn to look as soon as I can.

There's... nothing there... Arche's... "ARCHEEEE...!"

"Arche-san..."

"She must be somewhere in this mansion. We'll find her and the others," the ninja says.

"She's down there—she must be...!"

"Chester!"

Someone grabs my arm. "Don't be stupid."

Dhaos...! "Let go of me!"

"What are you going to do? Rush into the skeletons and get captured as well?"

"I'm going to save her!"

"You were no match for those skeletons before... What makes you think you can fight them now?"

"Shut up! I don't need your input! You could never understand...!"

"Didn't you promise her that you'd live? Funny, it sounds to me like you have a death wish..."

I turn to glare at him. I hate this guy...! "What's the point if she's not there?!"

"What about your sister?"

My... sister...

"Onii-chan..."

Ami... "...You can let go of me now." He does so. I walk over to my sister and kneel down to her level.

"Onii-chan... You're not going down there again... right...?"

"Right... You don't have to worry..." This is a mess... "Sorry, I guess I kinda lost it there... I don't even know why I said some of those things..."

"I... want to save Arche-san, too... but..."

"...I hate to say this, but Dhaos is right... We'll need the others before going down there again..."

"We may not even need to go down there," Suzu speaks up.

"What do you mean?"

"The way those skeletons were moving... they probably have a leader somewhere around here. If we take out the leader..."

"...We take out the skeletons. Okay, let's find that leader!"

"The leader will probably be on the second floor," the angel suggests.

I stand. "Then we have no time to waste!" Arche... I'm going to save you; I promise. We hurry out of the room and upstairs. I don't see any of the others... they must be around here somewhere...

Let's try through this door...

Curtis, Tim, and Macaron are in here, searching through... Wait, games?

"Okay, guys, now's not the time to be playing games."

"We're not, you stupid mutt!" the kid yells at me. "We're looking for that pact ring! Or a switch!"

"...What's wrong?" the prince asks.

"...Arche's disappeared."

"Disappeared? Like..."

"Some skeletons downstairs got her."

"...Macaron." Tim turns to the fairy.

The little creature nods. "I can find her... but only if you have something that belongs to her."

"Something that belongs to her...?" I don't have anything...

"Let's go check where she disappeared. Maybe something got left behind," Dhaos suggests.

We nod and head back downstairs.

"If not, maybe there's something in the pack..." my sister speaks up.

"Yeah, maybe..."

We enter the room again and walk over to the broken doors. There must be something... Ah, this ribbon...! I pick it up and smell it. Yeah, this is definitely her scent. "Here." I walk over to Macaron and hand her the ribbon. "Use this."

"Thank you." She takes it and concentrates. "Everlastingly establishing the flow of time, defying the wrinkles the body has allowed... My name is Macaron. Guide this body to the place of the owner of this ribbon. Emito Eto Caboo!"

"Wait...!" I reach over as a flash of light engulfs the area.

This is... a bedroom... And there's—"Arche!" She's laying on the bed, unconscious. Standing over her is a woman. She has short, black hair, and she's dressed in a red and black outfit that suits her body quite well. She turns to me with red eyes, a sly grin—those teeth...! She's... a vampire?!

"Chester-san..." Eh...? It seems that it's just me and Macaron here... Well great. I guess this is what I get for making fun of vampires... Did I forget to mention that I don't particularly _want_ that vampire versus werewolf showdown?

"Hm..." She walks over to me and stares at me. What's she doing...?

Keh... I don't have time to play games! "Let Arche go."

"Hm... You're just barely good enough to be a diversion for a couple of days..." she says. Her voice... She's the one I've been hearing all over this mansion...

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

She moves closer, grabbing my arms. "You've come to play with me, haven't you...? I have another bed..."

Eh...? I thought vampires were supposed to... Well she _is_ pretty...

"I don't believe I've caught your name yet... I'm Alexia..."

"I'm Chester... Chester Barklight."

"Well, Chester... Now that we're introduced, why don't we have a little fun...?"

A little fun...? I can't really argue about having fun with such a pretty girl... I close my eyes and lean closer to her...

"Chester-san...! We have to save Arche-san...!"

Arche...! That's right, this vampire has her... I push her away. "Let Arche go."

"Oh, she can leave... You're much more willing to play with me~!"

"Macaron, get Arche out of here."

"But what about you?"

"I'll be fine. Just go!" I pull out my bow and notch an arrow on it. I aim at the vampire as Macaron flies over to Arche.

"Ooh, what are you going to do with the sharp pointy thing~?"

"Maybe I'll use it to make you a wall decoration."

"And how are you going to hold me to the wall~?"

There's a flash of light. Arche and Macaron warp away. Looks like I'm on my own now... "I suppose we'll just have to experiment. Life Stealer!"

She dodges. Keh... "I love experiments~!"

"Good. That'll make things a little more interesting!" I change into a wolf and leap at her.

Ha, got her. I pin her to the ground. "I've never had a wolf before~!" she says just as cheerfully as before. "Let's trade bites~! It'll be fun!"

No way am I letting her bite me...! I don't want to be undead, too! I jump off of her. Keh...

"Aww, finished already?" she asks as she stands.

Okay, there has to be something I can do... I can't lead her back to the others... I need to hit her from a distance, but she's fast... Unless I can hit her with something unexpected...

_"It seems some of the mana that shot into you got caught in your bloodstream. You absorbed a little, and shot it at the Destroyer before passing out."_ I wonder if I can do that again... I don't even know how I did it in the first place, though...

"What's wrong? Aren't you a warrior man~?"

Keh... If I'm fast enough, maybe I can get her without... Well, it's worth a shot...! I charge at her, aiming for her legs. She doesn't move—I bite her left leg.

W-what the...?! She's picking me up...! Oh that's just _not_ fair...! "Ooh, I like that~! How'd I taste?" Keh...! I fight to try and get away. "Now it's my turn~!" Ah...! She bit one of my legs... Damn her...! I reach over and bite her arm—it's enough for her to drop me. Ow... I push myself up and move away—I'm limping a little...

"Oh, don't leave yet! I want more~!"

I _really_ hate sadists and masochists... And _especially_ both rolled into one.

"You're really tasty... You'll give me another bite, won't you~?" She walks towards me. She's limping a little herself, though it doesn't seem to bother her... At least my bite did something... I have to keep her back... but now I can't charge at her...

I turn into a human. I quickly notch an arrow, aim, and shoot.

Ah... I flinched and missed. This isn't good...

"Dark Sphere!" Ah...! She can use magic, too...?!

"Now, Chester Barklight... Why don't you come over here and have some fun~?"

Keh... Like I'm going to do that...! I notch another arrow. "Dodge this... Giga Fang!"

"If you insist~!" She dodges. Dammit...!

"I didn't mean for you to—never mind! Stand still!" I notch another. "Hell Pyre...!"

She dodges—and charges straight at me! I hold my arm up—she bites it—ah...! I punch at her with my other arm—she lets go and dodges.

She licks her lips. "What a fine taste indeed~!" She charges at me again—I jump back—there's a wall there...! I hold up my left arm again—she bites it. Keh...

I pull the knife out of my pocket with my right arm and stab her. I pull it out as she lets go of my arm.

She touches her wound with her hand and—licks it?! "Mm... Want to try some~?"

"You're insane...!" I swipe at her, but she dodges back. She's way too fast... but...

All right, I can do this... I pull two arrows out. I put one in my mouth as I notch the other. I take aim—and shoot!

I quickly notch the other and shoot to the left—"Thunder Blitz!" Ha, she dodged that way...! I've got you now...

"Oh, that stings~!"

What's _with_ this lady? I get it already, vampires are better than werewolves in battle... but they're still just another undead creature!

And undead creatures are weak to light... but I have no light artes...

...Maybe it's my turn to "try something new"... I said I was going to experiment, after all... But if she dodges it, then...

I reach into my quiver and pull out five arrows. Keeping a careful hold on them, I notch them all on my bow. I hold it up and concentrate. The arrows start glowing. "Take this... Domination!" I shoot—they go out in five directions—one of them hits!

"Ah..." That stalls her. Looks like that wound actually did something. But she's still moving... She looks up at me with a grin. "Oh, you want to play rough, huh~?"

Uh oh... I think I just made things worse...

"Violent Pain!"

Ah...!

She charges at me—way too fast—she grabs my arm and throws me—ow...!

Keh... I push myself up—she rushes at me again—I hold my arms up.

There's a gust of wind—Suzu...!

"It's about time! Why didn't you use that sooner?!"

"It was dangerous using that now... but the door wouldn't open, and we heard you in pain."

"Where is everyone?"

"...Can you stand?"

I push myself up. "Yeah."

"Cover me." She concentrates. The vampire rushes in—I pull out five arrows again and aim above Suzu's head. "Domination!"

The vampire jumps over the arrows—and lands behind me...! She grabs me—

"Flare Blitz!" Suzu throws fiery shurikens at her, and the vampire pulls away.

"Thanks."

"Here—this might be better against her." Suzu tosses me her dagger—I catch it and quickly turn and slash at the vampire. She jumps back.

She charges again—I side step and stab her.

"Now...!" Suzu calls out. I pull the dagger back and move back—ah, forgot about my leg...! I land on the ground. "Shadow Storm...!"

Wind swirls around us. Finally...

"Be sure to come visit me again, little wolf~!" she vampire calls out as she disappears.

We come out in the upstairs hallway. Everyone's here...

"Chester...!"

"Hey guys... Are we done here yet...? I've had more than enough of undead..."

"Yeah, we got the ring," Curtis says.

"You look terrible..." Arche... so she's awake now...

"I feel pretty terrible..."

"Cure...!"

"Thanks, Mint..." That definitely feels better... I look up at Arche. She has that scarf on, but... I have to be sure... "Arche, can I see your neck?"

"Eh...? Why...?"

"Just let me see it."

"O...kay..." She pulls the scarf down so I can see. No bite marks... good...

I sigh and stand. "All right, let's get going."

"Wait, what was that about?"

"You were being held captive by a vampire."

"Eh...?!"

"A vampire that Chester-san almost kissed," Macaron speaks up.

"Don't tell them about that!"

"Eehhh?!"

"Chester... Didn't we already have a talk about these dangerous girls?"

"S-shut it...! She's pretty and... Anyway, I put up a pretty good fight against her!"

"It looked to me like she was the one winning," comments the ninja.

"Yeah, well, that's... Vampires get all the cool powers!"

"Looks like our little werewolf lost in the epic struggle..." Dad says.

"Shut up...! Let's just get outta here already...!" I hurry past them and walk downstairs. If this door doesn't work...

It opens...! The sunlight really feels nice after that trip... "So, where to now?"

"Now it's time to go home... to the city of Thor!"

**Arche received the title of Saving Failure. Seriously, what kind of save **_**was**_** that?**

**Chester received the title of Tales Hero. ARCHEEEE!**

**Dhaos received the title of Anger Manager. It is a title given to one who manages to keep another from storming off to their death in anger.**

**Suzu received the title of Double Savior. It is a title given to one who manages to come to the rescue twice in one dungeon.**

**Chester received the title of Epic Battler. It is a title given to one who's participated in one of the ultimate showdowns.**

**Arche learned Explode.**

**Dhaos learned Photon.**

**Chester learned Domination.**


	76. Only a Werewolf

**Yay, another chapter done~ Classes are easier this year, and I only have two more mothership Tales titles to beat, so hopefully I'll get faster at updating (yeah right).**

**XD And for any of you worrying about Chester becoming a vampire too, I hope the title clears some things up.**

**Well, please enjoy this chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Tales series. It's owned by Namco Bandai.**

**--Only a Werewolf--**

We fly to Thor on the Rheairds. The city on the ocean... Looks like it's protected from the waves by a barrier. But it seems to be a low barrier... Curtis leads us in through the top, and we land in the central square. We hop off, and I return the Rheairds to the wing pack. People are staring at us now, though...

"Welcome to Thor City," the prince speaks up. "This is where our primary research takes place."

It's much bigger than it is in the present... I guess by our time, most of it has been destroyed.

"So, how about I give you that tour first, before they load me down with things to do, and you can rest at the castle afterwards?"

"Sounds good to me," Dad says. The rest of us agree to it. Might as well... at least this won't result in a battle. If I ever have to fight a vampire again, I'm definitely going to beat it!

Curtis leads us through the labs. Looks like they're studying quite a bit of magitech here... He leads us to a basement room, where some scientists are working.

"Ah, your highness...!"

"Hey. This is where the human magic research is done, right?"

"Yes... I'm afraid we don't have a cure yet..."

A cure...?

"That's fine; I wasn't expecting you to. My friends here are interested in your research," the prince explains.

"Oh, of course. What would you like to know?" one scientist asks.

"Everything. I've been studying the possibility of humans using magic myself..." Dad speaks up.

"Well, it's actually quite dangerous."

"Dangerous? What do you mean?"

"When we infuse the mana into a subject, there's usually... violent reactions. Their element goes out of control. Many times, it tears them apart right away... but others are able to withstand the pain," the scientist explains. "Regardless of whether they live past the initial treatment or not, their body continues to deteriorate afterwards. It's sped up whenever they use magic."

Continues to deteriorate... That's why Sauound was dying... Wait, then Curtis, too...

"Luckily, Prince Curtis has a strong body composition, so he should live for a few more years... but we're trying to find a way to save him before..."

"Hm... So having too much internal mana destroys the body... I suppose that makes sense, but... If there was a way to channel external mana..."

"We've been experimenting with that, too. You see..." Ah great. They're at it now... I take a look around while the science guys talk. Huh, looks here like they have a list of people they're trying this with...

...And looks like most of them have died... Why are they—

Wait... Timothy Parker... It couldn't be... could it? That would explain why he can use wind magic... and why he's hiding under that cloak...

"Chester," Suzu calls over quietly. I take the list and go to see what she and Ami are looking at.

"Trade ya." I hand the list to the girls as I lean over the documents they were looking at. These are plans... for creating a magitechnology creature, from the looks of it. Machine parts they need, other science stuff I don't understand... I glance over at the scientists. Dad's still keeping them busy. Looks like Milard's helping; she glances at us. She's keeping them busy on purpose... Thanks, Milard. I turn back to the documents and shuffle through the pages.

Oh here we go, list of functions. Let's see, basic magic functions... Those kinda make sense... What's on the next page...

Is this... a time travel function? There's a chant scribbled in here... Everlastingly establishing the flow of time... defying the wrinkles the body has allowed... Guide this body to... the bygone days of the first master... of item... Emito Eto... This is what Macaron... She's a magitech machine?!

I glance back at Tim. He's standing in the back, his hood covering his face completely. Macaron's nowhere in sight. So this is where they came from... and this is what they're hiding from now. If those scientists knew... Judging from these records, I bet they'd do anything to get those two back.

Suzu taps me, and then nods to the ones talking. Looks like they're about done... I quickly turn the pages back to the front and set them back where they were. The three of us then walk over to the others.

"Thank you for the ideas, um..."

"Klarth."

"Thank you, Klarth. As long as you're in the area, we'll let you know if there's any progress."

"Thank you."

"Well, it's about dinner time..." the prince speaks up. "Why don't you guys join us? You can stay at the castle for the night, too."

"Thank you, Curtis-san," Milard says.

"This is fair, right? You guys helped me, after all. I wouldn't have liked to face that dragon or vampire on my own..." He grins. "So then, I'll show you to your room so that Milard can set that pack down. And you can take that cloak off and stay a while, Ti—"

"Let's go, then! I'm starving!" I say loudly as I walk out of the room. The others follow. It seems Curtis doesn't know about Tim... Is it really safe for him to be here at all?

The prince leads us to the castle. It's quite different than the castle in Odin... This one's much darker, made with many different types of metals and machines. The hallways are also more narrow, and a lot of rooms seem to be connected with doors. It's like they tried to save as much space as possible when making it... Curtis points out the dining room as we pass it, but he doesn't stop until we reach the guest area.

"And this is where you guys will stay. As far as I know, no one else will be staying here any time soon, so feel free to spread out."

"Thank you," Cless says for us.

"No problem. I'll let you guys get settled. Come to the dining room when you're ready... dinner will probably be ready in half an hour or less, unless they've gotten lazy on me." Cless thanks him again, and the prince waves and walks away.

"Well, why don't we take this time to clean out the pack?" Milard asks as she leads the way into a room. The rest of us follow. She sets down the pack and says, "So, what did you find?"

"Find...?" And Dad didn't even notice...

"Chester found something interesting in the labs... right?"

"I'd say." I turn to the cloaked kid. "I think it's time you tell us a few things, Timothy Parker."

He pauses. After a moment, he sighs and gives in. "I guess you already saw... Macaron and I were research experiments."

Dad frowns. "Well, I guess that explains why you have magic... and why Maracon's not a real fairy."

"You could tell?"

"Give me some credit, Chester. I've been studying magic since I was a teenager."

"Why didn't you say anything?"

"I was trying to figure out exactly what she is. Now I think I know... She's a magitechnology machine, isn't she?"

"But I thought Tim hated magitech!" Arche points out.

"I do... but Macaron's different. She was made to not use that much mana, since she's living... Besides, that's not really a valid argument for your group. You have a _demon_ in your party."

"In my defense, I started out as a full, normal human." I glance at Arche. "...But I understand. It doesn't matter what she is—she's still living. She still has a personality. And you like her for that, no matter what others think."

"Y-yeah..." He sounds surprised to hear that from me.

"Exactly what are they experimenting?"

"Well, their primary goal is to find a way to save the prince. One of their ideas with that is to create a new body for him... but they need to make sure it's safe first, with someone else who can use magic."

"And that's why they still need you..." Dad concludes as he thinks about this.

"Do you think Curtis knows...?" Cless asks.

"Doubt it. He never visited the labs, as far as I know. And with how laid back that guy is..."

"He definitely doesn't know that you're part of the experiments," I add.

"Yeah..." Tim pauses, embarrassed, before muttering, "Thanks for helping me out back there..."

"No problem." Now then... "So, time to eat yet? I really am starving."

"You're always hungry..." mutters the witch.

"I say we feed him dog food," Tim speaks up.

"Hey! Wolves don't eat dog food!"

"They might... And your appetite's becoming more like a wolf's..." Arche argues. "After all, you won't even eat fruits or vegetables!"

"Shut up! Let's just have some _normal_ food!" I start walking towards the dining room, and the others follow. Keh...

"Tim, the scientists said that those with magic are slowly dying..." Cless speaks up. "How much longer...?"

"Who knows... Since I ran away from the labs, I can't exactly get a doctor... They'll find out."

That's right... Sauound and Curtis can get the best treatment, since they're royalty... but Tim...

"Master..." Macaron sounds worried... She may be a machine, but she still has emotions...

"If there's a way to save you, I'm sure we'll find it...!" my kid sister speaks up.

"I'm fine. I'm not dying 'til I at least destroy that machine."

"Machine...?" Arche asks.

"Yeah. I'll show you tonight."

Everyone quiets down as we reach the dining room doors. We walk in; Curtis and his parents are already there, talking as they wait for food.

"Hey there," Curtis greets.

"Welcome," his father says. "Curtis was just telling us about you... Thank you for all of your help."

"It wasn't out of our way or anything..." Cless responds.

"Please, have a seat," the queen offers with a smile. She has red, curly hair... guess that's where the prince gets it from. We sit down.

If you think about it, this is kinda weird... this is the second time we're having dinner with someone who's probably our enemy. And we've helped both of them...

Possibly... but there's a chance they're not. I hope not... I don't want Merilynn to be Fenrir...

Well, no point in worrying about it 'til we visit Sardon. If their bodies are there, then they can't be the gods... right?

Dinner's served. We tell the king and queen about the tournament and our adventures after it as we eat.

"A vampire..." The queen glances over at me, concerned. "It didn't bite you, did it...?"

"Don't worry, I'm fine..."

"Hm... now _that_ would be interesting..." Curtis says. He's thinking about a vampire werewolf, isn't he...?!

"It would not!"

The king chuckles. "So what about before you joined the tournament? You must be pretty skilled fighters..."

"Well you see..." Arche speaks up. Uh-oh... "We've come from the future to learn our enemies' weaknesses. Want to tell us your weaknesses, Curtis~?" Is she a complete idiot...?!

Curtis laughs. "Well, I'm weak against pretty girls."

"You're quite the joker," the king says as he chuckles some more. None of them... even believed her... Well that's good... "What have you really been doing?"

"We've been working with the ninja," Dad tells them.

"Ahh, is that it... I through the young lady there looked like a ninja."

Suzu doesn't say a word; she continues eating silently.

"What sort of things do you have to do for Hyouko?" the king asks.

"Well, uh..."

"At one point, we had to accompany the prince of Odin to learn about him."

"And then there was that time we joined up with that group of rebels..."

"Yeah, we had to find out what they were up to. But they turned out to be on our side in the end."

"There was also a group of three tricksters who turned out to be the enemies."

"Then we met a scientist who has a few screws loose..."

"Yes, but Sardon _is_ quite helpful..."

"And then we went and saved a unicorn! And soon after that, we had our first werewolf sighting!"

"Vampires _and_ werewolves...?" the queen speaks up. "It sounds like you've all had it rough..."

"It sounds to me like they've had fun," Curtis says.

That... had a lot more truth in it than it probably should've... Well, it's not like they know...

We finish dinner. "If there's anything you need, let us know," the king offers. We thank him and head back to the guest rooms. Curtis joins us.

"So, if you don't mind my curiosity, what are you guys gonna do now?"

"Well, we need to find a beautiful young lady..." Dad says.

"Oh, sounds interesting already. What's her name? Maybe I can help."

"Hm... Urd said that we have to meet..." Arche thinks about it, but doesn't look like she can remember.

"Skuld and Verdandi," Suzu speaks up.

"Ah, right! That's it! Thank you, Suzu-chan!"

"Hm... can't say I know those names. So who exactly are they?"

"I guess you could say... warrior maidens?" the swordsman offers.

"Sounds like my type. Don't suppose you could introduce me to one of them, could you?"

"If we find them, perhaps..." Milard says.

"I call dibs on the prettiest one."

"Chester... Don't you have a habit of finding _dangerous_ girls? Maybe you should stay away from the fighters altogether..."

Ack... "Shut up..."

"I've been wondering. What exactly's up with this dangerous girls thing? I mean, I know he has a thing for Arche, and there was that vampire girl..." Tim asks.

"Hey, I don't have a 'thing' for either of those two!"

"But didn't Macaron say—"

"Almost! Nothing happened!"

"Right... if you say so... And these other dangerous girls...?"

"Oh, he dated our worst enemy," Dad speaks up.

"Don't tell him that!"

"She ended up betraying all of us, and then she tried to kill him. A few times. One of which she succeeded."

"But... he's alive."

"That's because we have a unicorn's horn," Mint explains. "It allows me to resurrect people..."

"Whoa, really? Anyone?" Curtis asks.

"Not quite... It's a little complicated..."

"Huh... interesting..."

Geez, is this the day to share all our secrets or something? Well, at least we're not telling Sauound... Somehow, I think he'd find a way to use that information against us.

"Well, it's getting kinda late. You guys fine in here?" the prince asks.

"Yeah."

"Any idea what you're doing tomorrow?"

"We'll probably discuss it tonight and let you know in the morning," Milard says.

"Sounds good. If there's anything I can help with, just let me know." He waves and exits. No one says a word for a moment.

"...I suppose it's about time for you to show us that machine you were talking about," Dhaos speaks up. "It's a magitechnology machine, correct?"

"Yeah. It was made using some of my blood... and it consumes a lot more mana than Macaron. If we don't do something soon, then Yggdrasil..."

Yggdrasil... That tree's dying again... It was pretty bad in our time, too... I wonder how many times things like this have happened...

"Let's pay a visit to the labs, then!" the witch cheers.

"We'll need a plan to get inside," Suzu points out.

"Yeah... Even when the scientists are gone, they still have defense mechanisms. If we could warp in or something, we'd be fine... but that's impossible, even for Macaron..."

"It's not impossible," Cless says. "I can warp us in and out. That way, no one will know, right?"

"Yeah."

"Wait, how can you warp us?"

Cless unsheathes the Eternal Sword and holds it up. "With this."

"Uh... that's a sword."

"Eternal Sword, take us to the labs we were in earlier today!" A blue light surrounds us, and when it disappears, we're in the labs.

"So how about that?" I tease Tim a little.

"That's... Never mind. You guys are weird..."

"_We're_ weird? You walk around in a black cloak all day, have a magitech fairy, and use magic despite being a human."

"Yeah, well... You guys have a werewolf and a warping sword! And bring people back from the dead! Like zombies or something!"

"Hey, I'm not a zombie!"

"You're _really_ not a vampire now, right?"

"I'm not a vampire!"

"Chester, Tim, is now really the time? Someone might hear us," the summoner points out. Keh...

"Where's this machine...?" Ami asks as she glances around, clutching her hammer.

"Hold on..." Tim walks over to a computer and starts typing some things. The rest of us wait patiently. There are a few clicks... and then something opens. "That should do it. Now I just have to destroy it beyond repair."

Wait, that noise... It's moving...! "Move...!" I grab Arche's arm and pull her out of the—whoa, lost my footing...! We fall and hit the ground. Ow...

"What was that?!"

"Is everyone okay?!"

"Arche, get off of me...!"

"Y-you're the one who grabbed me all of the sudden...!" Nonetheless, she gets up. I stand as well.

"Why's it activated already...?!" Tim hisses. "It shouldn't be ready for another month...!"

"Yeah, well, month's up." I pull out an arrow and take aim. "Someone get the lights! Hell Pyre!" Dammit, I missed. People are casting now, so it's a little easier to see... The fighters rush in and take it head on—wow that thing's fast...! I notch another arrow and shoot—got it, but didn't hit anything vital.

"Pow Hammer...!"

"Impact!"

"...Power Seal!"

It hits Cless—he flies into the wall...! Keh...

"Piercing Line!"

"Cless-san...!" Mint quickly starts charging up.

"Explode...!"

Ah...! "Arche! Don't use that spell in small spaces!"

"Shut up!"

"Everyone, get out of the room. I'm going to destroy everything in here..." Ack, that doesn't sound good... Mint quickly heals the swordsman, and we all retreat behind Dad. "Come, Volt!" Volt appears, making the whole room spark—

"H-hey...!"

Machines start exploding—we quickly run out of the room. We're in the main area—the machine follows us out. Keh...

"Merciless Thunder!" Suzu throws a lightning-charged dagger at the thing—it hits, making it spark.

"Air Thrust!" Ack, why's Tim using magic...?!

Whatever, he'll suffer for it later... "Thunder Blitz!"

"Klarth, use Volt again!" Milard calls out.

"Are you sure?"

"Positive!" She starts drawing runes in the air.

"All right... I summon thee... Come, Volt!"

"Asel Seal: Lightning!" My weapon... is charged with lightning energy...! Not just mine; everyone else's as well! All right, now time to beat this thing...! I shoot more arrows at it.

Tim goes flying—he's already suffering from using magic...

"Master..."

"I'm fine!"

"Like hell you are. Stay back," I tell him as I shoot again. Wait, it's charging up...

"Shut it, mutt! I'm going to defeat this thing!" It's aiming at Tim...! If it hits him...

I jump in the way, holding my arms up in defense. Ow, dammit that hurts...!

"Onii-chan...!"

"Ch-Chester...?!"

"I'm fine..."

"Like hell you are! Why did you help me?!"

"Because apparently I suck at sitting still when someone's about to die! Now shut up and let me concentrate!" Keh, I missed...

"Ugh... I said I would be the one to defeat it...! Turbulence...!" Violent blasts of wind slash at the machine.

"Now...!" Cless slashes—he knocks an arm off. Suzu gets one on the other size. Dhaos and Ami hit it, knocking it into the wall—it falls to pieces.

There... I see what's making it run... I take aim... "Piercing Line...!" Ha, got it...! The thing makes a small explosion. Whew...

"Nurse...!" the cleric quickly gets to healing us. Milard helps out, giving the worst of us heals.

The lights suddenly turn on. We turn to the doorway—uh oh... Curtis and some knights are standing there. Well this is just great...

"What's going on here?" the prince asks. "You guys are..."

"Yeah, we destroyed a magitech machine." Tim pushes himself up. "And if you know what's good for this world, you'll destroy more. Yggdrasil's dying because of these things!"

"Dying? What are you talking about?"

"Yggdrasil can't handle the mana these machines use!"

"But Macaron is—"

"Macaron's different! She doesn't use up that much mana! And she's been helping me destroy the ones that do!" Tim glares up at the prince. "What's more important—these stupid machines, or the world?!"

"Sir, these are criminals—you can't trust what they say!"

"...These guys aren't criminals... but, there's not much I can do just standing here." He pauses, thinking. "I'll send some scientists to check out the tree's condition..." He glances at Tim. "So I guess this is your reason, then..."

The sound of alarms rings throughout the building as the area flashes red. D-did they have to make them that loud...?

"What's going on?" Curtis asks one of the knights.

"I-I don't know..."

The prince pulls a device out of his pocket. "Hey, why are the alarms going off? We've already figured out what's going on in here..."

"I-it's not that!" a voice comes through. "It's the comet, Samiel! It's broken through Aselia's atmosphere and is headed straight for Thor...!"

"What...?!"

**Milard received the title of Sneaky Distraction. I'll distract them while you gather information.**

**Klarth received the title of Magic Observer, Real World Oblivious. He may have noticed that Macaron wasn't a real fairy, but he completely missed what others were doing during his chat.**

**Arche received the title of Truthful Trickster. It may be the truth, but tell it right, and people will think it's a lie.**

**Chester received the title of Only a Werewolf. I'm not a vampire werewolf or a werewolf zombie, so drop it already!**

**Curtis left the party.**


	77. Slow Learner

**...I don't even know how I finished this chapter that fast. Maybe 'cause it was kinda fun. Revealed a little more than I planned in multiple areas, but that was also fun. So, I hope you enjoy it!**

**Disclaimer: Same as always.**

**PS: And for those that don't remember Tessa, she's the one who gave them the titles of Bowman the Bowshooter, Merlin the Magician, etc. (I so did not have to look up her name again.)**

**--Slow Learner--**

"So let me get this straight... We're about to be hit dead-on by a comet?" Dammit, this is just my luck...

"We have to evacuate the city!" Curtis quickly starts giving the knights orders.

"They won't make it in time..." Dad says quietly to our group.

"Eh?"

"The comet Samiel... It's what destroyed Thor City."

"Eh?!"

Tim frowns. "What do you mean 'destroyed'?"

"When Arche said we were from the future, she wasn't lying... By our time, scientists are studying the technology that's left behind in this city."

The cloaked kid pauses, thinking. "...I'm not going to let these people die just like that! I'm going to save them!"

"It's a comet! How do you expect to stop that?"

"I don't know! I'll think of something!" He snaps back at me before running into the room we just came from. He soon comes back out with a treasure chest.

Curtis hurries over to us. "You guys need to get out of here, too. I can't ask you to help in this—"

"If there's anything we can do, we're going to do it!" Cless tells him.

"The comet still has to make it through the barrier. We have a little bit of time, but..."

"Follow me," Tim says. He walks to a door—we follow. What's he—wait, this is...! The time-space transference machine, Cust...! "Macaron, can you activate it?"

"Right!" She flies over to the machine and concentrates. The machine lights up.

"Welcome to the Mother Computer Room. I am Cust. I provide all functions throughout Thor City."

"Thanks, Macaron... Now I want you to go to sleep."

"Master...?"

"If I need you again, I'll wake you up. Promise."

Macaron nods. "I understand. Good night, Master. Good night, everyone." She enters the treasure chest and closes her eyes. Tim closes it.

"What are you planning?" Curtis asks.

Tim walks over to the prince and thrusts the treasure chest into his hands. "Take Macaron. She can help you... If not, hide her somewhere."

"What are you—"

He hurries over to the computer and starts typing. "I'm leaving Macaron and this world to you! If you don't save them, I'll come back and haunt you!"

"I can't—I don't even have long!"

"You have longer than me." A magic circle appears under Tim. "...Wind Blade!"

Curtis jumps out of the way just in time—and onto the machine's platform. Tim activates it.

"W-wait, stop...!" There's a flash of light, and the prince is teleported away.

The kid turns to us. "Come on! You can use that sword-thingy to teleport more people out! I'll stop the comet a little longer!"

"How the hell do you plan on doing that?!" I demand as we follow him out of the building.

It's dark out here—the comet's blocking out the sun. Tim starts concentrating. A magic circle appears under him—violent winds circle around. He sends them up to reinforce the barrier, slowing the comet down.

"Tim, you idiot...! If you do that—"

"S-shut up...! I can hold it off... Just... save everyone..." He glances at us as the wind starts tearing at his body. "Klarth... This is why... humans... can't use magic..."

Keh...! "Dammit, Tim!" I turn and run towards the port; the others follow me, after telling Tim that he better live. Everyone's here, trying to get on a ship. "Cless!"

"I know!" He holds up the Eternal Sword. "Eternal Sword, warp us all to—"

A wave violently crashes into us—ah...!

"Undine...!" The summon spirit catches our group and as many civilians as she can. The wind breaks—dammit all...!

"Eternal Sword, Euclid, now...!"

There's a flash of light. Ow... We're... in Euclid... People are staring at us... Looks like we got a few civilians, but not many. They all look pretty scared...

"Is everyone all right?" Mint asks.

"A-ah..."

I sigh. That was a disaster... And Tim is... "...What should we do with everyone?"

"Let's take them to Tessa. She can tell them where to go for help," Milard suggests.

"Right." I turn to the citizens. Mint's healing them... I take a deep breath and raise my voice. "All right, Thor City people. Follow me." I turn and lead the way. Before long, we reach the house of the writer girl. I knock on the door.

She answers. "Eh...? Chester, right...? What happened to you?"

"Thor City's gone. These are the survivors... Think you can help them?"

"Eh...?! What do you mean gone?!"

"It was hit by a comet," Suzu explains.

"So can you help them?"

"Ah... r-right! Leave it to me!" She offers for the citizens to enter her house. Heh... she may be weird, but she has a good heart.

"You guys can come in, too," she offers our group.

Milard shakes her head. "We have things we need to do. We should head to Mizuho and talk to Hyouko."

"Okay... be careful!"

"Thanks." We wave to her and walk out of the city. No one says a word, not even Arche...

Outside of the city, I open the wing pack and let the Rheairds out. We get on and fly to the ninja town. We land just outside.

Of course, they already noticed. Hyouko frowns when she sees us. "Where's Tim?"

"Well..."

"Thor City has been destroyed. It was hit by a comet... Tim used his magic to hold it off just long enough for us to save some civilians..."

"...I see... What about the royal family?"

"Tim warped Curtis away, but I doubt his parents survived," Suzu answers.

"Where to?"

"I don't know."

"And what about Macaron?"

"Curtis has her," my kid sister speaks up. "Tim..."

Hyouko pats Ami's head. "Thank you... You've all helped us so much... I'm sure Tim was happy that he got to do something to help people..."

"...Yeah..."

Hyouko sighs and straightens out. She turns to the other ninja. "Find Curtis and bring him in. We'll take things into our own hands now."

"What should we do?" I ask her.

_"Go to Yggdrasil..."_ That voice... Heimdall?

"You don't need to do anything more. What happens to this country will be decided by Curtis and Kalinthra."

"Right... Good luck." I turn to the others. "Let's go." I start walking towards the tree, and the others follow.

"Wait, Chester...! Don't we have to meet with those valkyries still? We met with the last one by following Sauound, so..." Arche protests.

"Heimdall just contacted me. She said to go to Yggdrasil."

"Are you sure this is all right?" the angel asks untrustingly.

"Not much else we can do until they find Curtis, right? Let's see what she wants and then pay a visit to Sardon." We soon reach the large tree. It looks even worse...

"Welcome," a female voice says. A young woman with wavy brown hair and green eyes walks over to us. "I am Verdandi."

"So you're Urd's sister... Do we have to fight you, too?" I'm not in the mood for fighting right now...

"No. Just answer me this... How do you overcome the hardships in the present?"

"How...? Well..."

"...Is there really... a way to answer that?" Ami asks. "I mean, you just have to keep trying, right...? Because tomorrow, the sun will rise again..."

"Even if we were to die, time would keep moving," the little ninja continues. "We're only a small part of the world, but..."

"...One person... can change the world," I finish. I think I understand now, Sardon... If Tim hadn't done that, then we might've died back there, too... He's probably the only reason anyone survived...

"And if we work together..." Ami continues. She trails of, thinking.

"...I suppose we can accomplish a lot more that way," Dhaos speaks up, much to my surprise. He doesn't even like us...

"Yes, I suppose so. I wasn't expecting such an answer... but I like it. It's full of hope..." the valkyrie says. "Then, I will grant you greater powers..." She concentrates. I feel my strength returning...

She stops and smiles at us. "Please go see my sister Skuld in the country of Fenrir."

"Right."

Verdandi disappears. We pause a moment. Dad breaks the silence: "Well then, now it's time to visit Sardon. Cless, if you would..."

"All right." He holds up the sword yet again. "Eternal Sword, warp us to Miguel, year 4304!" It warps us.

We find ourselves standing in the town. Looks like some progress has been made since last time I was here...

"Everyone!" Sardon saves at us from a ladder. Looks like he's helping out some, too.

"Hey, aren't you supposed to be researching for us?" I tease him a little.

"W-well I was in the area, so I offered a hand..."

"Slacking off on the job..."

"This isn't slacking! This is hard work, you kn—ooow...!" The ladder falls back. He hits the ground, the ladder on top of him. Oh geez... Cless and I walk over and help him out.

"I don't think physical labor's your strong point."

"Oww... How do you guys handle fighting? Just falling from a ladder makes it feel like I've broken something..."

"We're used to it, I guess," the swordsman answers.

"So then, you had a temple to show us?" Dad speaks up.

"Yep! It's this way!" He winces and starts walking; the rest of us follow. "Why are you guys all wet, anyway?"

"We got hit by a tide..." We explain the destruction of Thor again, only giving Sardon a little more detail.

"So that's what happened to Thor..."

"Yeah."

He stops in front of Yggdrasil. It looks a lot better in this time... though, still not the best. "Here..." He walks over to a clump of bushes. There's a door in the ground... Looks like he had to dig a little to get to it... "Help me open it."

We work together and pull the door open. It's dark down there... Milard pulls the lantern out of the pack, and the half elf lights it.

"Be careful down there... there's a lot of traps," Sardon says.

"We'll be fine. Right, Suzu?" I ask the girl.

"Of course." She takes the lantern and leads the way in. She glances around for traps—we give her some space, just in case.

"Stay back!" She jumps forward—an arrow goes by where she just stood. She touches the ground for a second before jumping up again, flipping away from some spikes in the ground. Whoa... "Quickly!" she calls out. We run across the traps—we make it just in time. The ninja continues walking.

There's a click... It sounds like something's rolling... Wait, there's a boulder...! "Run...!" We race down the passage.

"Well now what...?!"

"The Eternal Sword?!"

"I don't know if I can—"

"Ah...!" The floor falls out from under us.

"Sylph...!" Wind blows under us, catching us. I glance down. There are spikes down there...

The boulder rolls over us—it's too big to come down the pit, but now we're trapped... Dad won't be able to hold Sylph out much longer...

"Dhaos Laser!" A beam shoots from Dhaos' hands, hitting the boulder with surprising force.

"Silent Reaper!" Suzu leaps forward and cuts through the boulder somehow. It falls to pieces around us. Sylph's wind safely lifts us back up to the passageway.

"Whew... That was a little too close..."

"...Dhaos Laser? Seriously?"

He throws a glare at me, but says nothing.

"I think it's a perfect name!" my kid sister says.

"I think it's a stupid name..."

"Onii-chan!"

"Let's go." The ninja continues leading the way. Keh... I hate Dhaos... Why does Ami want to be his friend, anyway? He's a cold hearted—

...Why is it rumbling?

Wait, the walls are closing in...! "Everyone, run!" Cless says; we comply. There's an opening ahead... If we can just make it that far...!

The witch scoops Ami up on her broom and zooms ahead. Arche... thanks. The rest of us keep running. This is going to be tight...

We made it...! We stop and catch our breath on the other side. "You'll warp us out when we're done here, right, Cless...?"

"Y-yeah..."

"Looks like we made it," Dad speaks up. Eh...? I look around—he's right; there are four machines in here. "These are made for preserving bodies... So, who wants to take a look?"

"Not it. Why don't you do it? You're the history buff."

"That doesn't mean I want to look... Besides, you're the one who's worried about Merilynn being Fenrir..."

"S-so?"

Someone sighs. A ghost walks through the wall—Kalinthra?! "You came all this way just to confirm that we died?"

"...Who are you?" Cless asks.

"I'm Kalinthra Alvar. And I can assure you, Merilynn, Sauound, Curtis, and I died long ago. Just above this spot."

"What happened...?"

"...We saved the world... by destroying all magitechnology."

"How...?"

"...After the destruction of Thor," Dad speaks up, "cloaked men showed up and stopped the war... by annihilating Fenrir and Odin. Those 'men'... were the four of you?"

"Yes. With the destruction of magitechnology and the castles, the countries were left with little. Christopher K. Lester and his fiancée, Hope, stepped up to lead people in the desert. Due to them, the country of Freyland was created a few hundred years later. The ninja and Fenrir's elite knights helped the rest of the world slowly recover. The ninja kept a tight watch over society, making sure that magitechnology did not rise again."

"They then moved to Japoni, correct?"

"Yes. In their quest to carry out our wishes, they made many mad... but the elves welcomed them. They moved there so that they could work with the elves to rebuild the world."

"Interesting..."

"So what exactly do Merilynn and the others have to do with the gods? If you guys really died, then..." I ask.

"...Tell me... what exactly are gods?" she answers.

"Eh? Well..."

"What is Martel?"

"Martel's a summon spirit for Yggdrasil... Then the gods... are also summon spirits?"

"Yes. Technically, we can be summoned... However, we're much more powerful than those spirits. I doubt you could hold us..."

"'Us'...?" Wait... "You're... Heimdall?!"

"Yes. Though the others caught up faster than you on that, Chester."

"Eh...?"

"All of us gods have a special ability. Mine is to read minds."

"Odin's is to possess people, right? But his body's left unprotected in the process... Meaning if he uses that in battle, he's left open," the summoner points out.

"Yes."

"Thor's is to teleport," Suzu adds.

"That could get dangerous..." my sister says.

"Yes, but Curtis isn't as smart as Sauound... By meeting them in the past and working with them, we know a little more about how they fight," Milard speaks up. "Curtis is all about strength, but Sauound uses a strategy..."

Heimdall nods. "That is why I want you to help them. There is no way you could've faced Odin without knowing how he fights. You'll need to develop a strategy to use against him..."

"Hm... that'll take some work."

"The hardest, though, is Fenrir... She may not be nearly as wise as Odin, but she has a headstrong determination that keeps her from losing." Heimdall stares at me. "I know she was your friend when she was a child, but she's different now. I suggest you study her fighting style well if you want to beat her."

"...Right."

"Also, Thor may be dense, but I don't suggest you be as truthful with Fenrir or Odin. _Especially_ with Odin."

"We won't." I throw a glare at Arche.

"Eh heh... We'll be more careful with Merilynn, right?"

"Yeah."

"Go to Fenrir... You may be able to meet... the one thing she truly cared for..." Heimdall closes her eyes and slowly fades out.

"The one thing she truly cared for...?" Cless repeats.

"We may be able to use that. Are you ready, Chester?"

"...Yeah." Merilynn is Fenrir after all... I still don't quite get how... If they died as normal humans, then how are they powerful spirits now...?

Well, no point in worrying about it now. Cless warps us out; Sardon's waiting for us.

"How was it? Did you find what you needed?" he asks.

"More than we thought. We met with Heimdall."

"R-really?! Why do I miss out on all the cool stuff?!"

"I think it's probably better that you weren't down there," Dad says. "You would've fallen in a trap."

"Ah..." He sighs. "So where are you going now?"

"Back to the past. This time we're going to the country of Fenrir."

"Need me to research anything?"

"Make sure there are no huge blizzards around that time?" I ask. "The last thing we need is another natural disaster..."

"Okay, I'm on it!"

"Fenrir's a werewolf, right? Maybe we should invest in some wolfsbane..." Dhaos says.

"No!"

"Silver weapons, then."

"Definitely not!" Keh, I hate him...!

"I'll see if I can find any wolfsbane you can use on her! And I should have some silver left at home! If all else fails, you can make a silver wolfsbane bomb!" the scientist happily suggests.

"...How exactly would that work...?"

"U-um... I'll see if I can make something..."

"That would probably help. We'll just have to make sure Chester stays away from it," Milard says. "If you can figure that out, please make it for us."

"Okay! One silver wolfsbane bomb, coming up!"

"We should get going, then, right?" Mint says.

"Yeah. Is everyone ready?"

"Go ahead and warp us."

The swordsman nods. "Eternal Sword, take us to year 2556, the country of Fenrir!"

"Bye, guys! Have fun in the snow!" Sardon happily waves at us as we warp away.

_"No, where'd it go...?! This can't be happening...! I... I've lost it... My only form of communication..."_

A chill blows across my skin as we land in the snow. That voice... "Did you guys hear that?"

"Yeah..."

"We heard it when we warped to the country of Odin, too," Dad points out.

"Where's it coming from...?" the half elf questions.

"It only happens when we warp across time... during that small point when we're between our destinations..." Milard's right...

Why do I feel like I know that voice...? That panicked voice is...

_"I don't have time for guests! My greatest experiment just flew out the window—literally! I have to find it!"_

No... it can't be... We just... What the hell's going on...?!

**Ami received the title of Sunny Hope. We'll rise again and again to face any challenge, just like the sun!**

**Suzu received the title of Small Hope. We're all a small part of this large world, but that doesn't mean we can't do anything.**

**Dhaos received the title of Group Fighter. If we work together, perhaps we can do more.**

**Klarth received the title of History Buff. Have a question about the Ragnarok War? I'll fill you in.**

**Chester received the title of Slow Learner. It took him a while, but he finally truly understands both Sardon's lesson and exactly who Kalinthra and the others are.**

**Cless received the title of Warping Taxi Service. It's a title given to one who's called on constantly for warps.**

**Tim left the party.**

**Suzu learned Silent Reaper.**

**Ami learned Havoc Strike.**

**Ami learned Para Ball.**

**Milard learned Silence.**

**Dhaos learned Dhaos Laser.**

**Dhaos learned Dreaded Wave.**


	78. Sibling Bond

**...Bonus points if you can figure out where my last name is in this chapter.**

**Enjoy~**

**Disclaimer: Same as always.**

**--Sibling Bond--**

"Chester? Is something wrong?" Arche asks.

"That voice..."

"Did you hear what it said? I could barely hear it at all, to be honest..." Milard explains.

"Could any of you hear it?"

"No..."

"Not me."

"No. Why?"

None of them could tell... "...It's nothing." Maybe I'm wrong... "Hey Dad, think you can contact Sardon and tell him not to worry about that bomb?"

"Chester, we'll make sure it doesn't hurt you..."

"This is Sardon we're talking about... I'm sure he'll mess it up somehow..."

"Well, I suppose you're right there... I'll talk to him later. For now, we should get some rest. I don't know about you, but I'm exhausted."

"Yeah. Let's grab a room at the inn." I can see the town through the snow. We walk to it, shivering. For some reason, it seems even colder in this time than in the future... I feel like I'm about to turn to ice...

We reach the inn. It's a lot warmer in here... which is definitely good. We buy a few rooms and head up.

...Now that I'm laying down, I don't feel so tired... Keh, I hate being so restless at night nowadays...

I wonder what happened to Curtis... I guess the ninja probably found him by now... What's he going to do with Macaron...?

Macaron's asleep... She won't even know what happened to Tim... I hope nothing like that happens here...

...What's going on with Sardon, though...? That makes absolutely no sense... Maybe I'll ask him later if he knows about that. Could be something from the past...

"...ester. Chester, wake up."

"Shaddup..."

"Maybe we should throw some snow on him..."

Snow... Is it snowing...?

"Or maybe use a silver wolfsbane bomb..."

Wait, that's...

I sit up. "I'm up."

"Good morning," Cless greets. Arche and Mint are standing there as well...

"Cless... You use that on me, and I'll... I'll..." I'm so tired... "...I'll go back to bed..." I lay back down.

"Chester..."

"Chester-san, I made food... I added a lot of meat, too."

...That smells good... I sit up again. "I'm up..."

The cleric smiles. "Here." She hands me a plate of food. I start eating.

"Geez, you're such a sleepyhead now!" Arche's so annoying sometimes...

"Only in the morning... I'm restless at night... It kinda sucks..." I'm feeling a little better now... Food really helps... "Where is everyone...?"

"Klarth-san's talking to Sardon, and the others are downstairs waiting," Cless answers.

I finish eating; Mint takes the plate as I stand. I grab my quiver and bow and put them on over my back. "Well, I'm ready."

"Let's go, then!" Arche cheers. "We need you to get us in the castle!"

"Yeah, yeah... Well, I doubt Merilynn's forgotten me, so it shouldn't be that hard." We walk downstairs, where the others are waiting. Looks like Dad's done talking to Sardon...

"Good morning, Chester. Are you ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be for this weather."

"At least you can have a fur coating if you want..." mutters the witch.

"Shut it..."

"You still sound asleep."

"And you still sound annoying."

"What was that...?! You jerk!"

"You're the one that started it!"

"Am not!"

"That's enough, you two." Milard says loudly. Keh...

"You know it wouldn't be a normal day without Chester and Arche arguing..." Dad shakes his head and opens the door. He quickly steps back as the cold rushes in. "Who wants to lead?"

"You're just afraid of the cold..." I take the lead. The snow's thicker now... Well, we walk to the castle. I'm freezing all over... looks like the others are doing about as bad. Suzu's trying to hide it, but she's definitely shivering...

We reach the castle gates. There are some knights standing here... "Halt. State your business."

"We're here to see Merilynn. I'm an old friend of hers..."

"The queen is out at the moment."

"Where'd she go?"

"That is privileged information."

Keh... These guys look pretty stubborn...

"You can't even tell her old friend?"

"...You could be a spy from Odin. We will ask her if we can admit you when she returns. Until then, you're free to stay at the inn."

"Well when's she going to return?"

"I'm not sure. Try again tomorrow."

Keh...

"Chester, come on..." We walk away. We head to the edge of town, where we stop to talk about it.

"Well now what? We can't do anything if we don't find her..."

"Somehow, I doubt they even know where she is..." Milard points out.

Arche suddenly zooms off out of the city.

"Arche...?!" We chase her. Wait, I see now—there's someone out there, being attacked by a monster...! I pull out my bow and notch an arrow to it. As soon as I get close enough, I stop and take aim. "Glimmer Shot!" Ha, got it!

"Pyre...!" Suzu throws a flaming dagger at the thing.

"Demon Fang!"

"Pyre Seal!"

The bird creature yelps. It turns and quickly flies off. That was easy...

We turn to the person. It's a kid with short, black hair. He stares up at us with nervous light blue eyes. He can't be any older than thirteen... "You okay?"

"Y-yes... Thank you..." He's hurt... but Mint's already charging up.

"Heal...!"

"Ah... Thank you..."

"It's dangerous out here." Wow, Arche sounds surprisingly kind... "You should head back."

"I... I can't... I have to ask the great spirit... for help..."

"Great spirit...?"

"Y-yes... It lives in a cave near here..."

We glance at each other. I know what you're thinking, Cless...

"Well, we're free at the moment, so why don't we take you?"

"E-eh...?"

"You won't make it very far with the monsters out here..."

"Ah... T-thank you..."

"It's not a problem," Cless tells him with a smile. "Right?"

"Right. We haven't helped a random person in a while, and it gives us something to do while we think," I say.

"Then it's settled. What's your name?"

"I'm Marcus..."

Cless introduces our group, and then asks Marcus to lead the way. The boy shyly nods and then starts walking through the snow.

I know this path... We're going to _that_ cave, aren't we...?

Yep. We arrive. However, in this time, there's actually a large entrance to it... We walk inside.

"It's somehow even colder in here..." Arche complains.

"I-it's only a little further..." Marcus says.

"Lead the way, then..."

"O-okay..." He continues walking. It's also kinda slippery in here... Marcus seems to be walking fine on the ice... but I guess he's used to it, living in this place...

"Ah...!" Mint slips—only to be caught by my best friend.

"Are you okay, Mint?"

"Yes... Thank you..."

"Come on... I'll make sure you don't slip..." He takes her hand and slowly leads her through the cave. Heh, Mint's face is all red...

"Ah...!" Ami slips and falls down. "Ow..."

"Geez... I should've known you'd fall down before long..." I walk over and help her up.

"I-it's not my fault... It's really hard to walk..."

"Maybe for a klutz like you..."

"Onii-chan...! I'm not a klutz...!"

"Right, right..."

My sister pouts. She glances over at Cless and Mint, looking a little lonely. "Cless-san..."

Oh geez... She really needs to move off of this soon... I walk over and bend down so my back's facing her. "Hop on. I'll give you a ride so you don't slip and fall flat on your face."

"Ah... Thank you, Onii-chan..." She climbs on my back, and I stand.

"You two... are brother and sister...?" Marcus asks quietly.

"Yeah. Why?"

"...You two... are close..."

"Do you have a sibling, Marcus?" Ami asks.

"Yes... I have an older sister..."

"So you're like us, only opposite!"

"...I hate her..."

Eh...? "Why?"

"She's scary..." he mutters. He stares at the ground as he walks. Huh...

"Scary...? How...?" my sister questions.

He doesn't say a word, but continues staring at the ground. I wonder what kind of sister he has...

We reach the end of the cave. There's a light blue light hovering in the air...

...There are also some wolves around...

"Look, some fresh meat came to us..."

"And humans, too! My favorite!"

Favorite...? Are these...

"Let me talk to these before you attack them," a sharp female voice speaks up. "Why do you come?"

"This child wants to—" Cless starts, but—

There's a burst of fire—Efreet appears. Why is he...?!

"Celsius!"

The blue ball flashes and turns into a beautiful young woman. Her skin's an odd shade, but she has a nice body...

"Efreet? What are you doing with these people?"

"Celsius... You're the summon spirit Celsius?" Dad asks.

"I am."

"This is perfect... I'd like to make a pact with you, then."

"A pact...?"

"Yes. To protect Aselia's future."

He wasted no time...

"I'm growing weaker by the day. I doubt I could even fight you properly for a test."

"Celsius, go with this man. If you do not, you will die," Efreet speaks up.

What...? "Summon spirits can die?"

"If all of our mana is destroyed, yes."

"If summon spirits can die, then..."

"...so can the gods..." Arche finishes for me.

"Gods...?"

"I'll explain later. Will you come with me, Celsius?" Dad asks.

"Origin is here as well," Efreet adds.

The summon spirit sighs. "Normally I would say no, but if Origin's with you, it must be serious. But still... I can't give my power to someone who's not worthy of it. Four of you will fight my wolves. Chose carefully."

Efreet returns to his pact ring. "I'm fighting," Dad quickly says.

"So am I," I speak up.

"Me too!" Arche...

"I'll provide support." Milard glances at Cless and Mint with a small grin.

I bend down, and Ami gets off my back. With three casters... I'm gonna have to be the melee fighter. "All right then..." I change into a wolf. Now I'm ready.

"Another werewolf, eh...?"

"Sorry, but we won't have mercy on you just 'cause you're one of us!" There's four of them... I'll have to keep them off the others.

"Talk big all you want... You'll be running with your tail between your legs by the time this is over!" I taunt.

"Why you little...!" One of them leaps at me. I jump out of the way and then leap back, scratching at him.

"Nightmare...!" All right, one of the wolves falls asleep! That makes my job a little easier...

Another charges at Dad—I quickly tackle him.

"Earthquake...!"

The ground shakes violently, hurting all of them.

"I summon thee... Come, Gnome!" After the shaking stops, Gnome-missiles shoot up from the ground and then back down at the wolves. The wolf I'm on falls unconscious—good! I charge at another—

Ow, dammit! The third one got me!

"Pyre Seal!" It flies off. One of them grabs Arche's broom and throws her—why that...! I charge at him and tackle him, digging my claws into him. The last one's waking up now... He stands and growls at me.

"Shadow!" The place grows dark. I jump back and let the spirit do his thing.

"Heal...!" My wound closes up as the area grows light again. Another one's down... Just two more to go!

"Thunder Blade...!" And there goes a third!

The last one charges at me. I change back to a human, using the momentum to spin around. "Aerial Laser!" And now... "Gale Shot!"

The wolf falls back and then collapses on the ground. All right!

"Impressive," Celsius says. "All right, then I'll lend you my power once you bring a ring for me."

"...You don't have one?"

"I guess I don't..."

Seriously? Then we did all of that for nothing...

"Aqua Laser...!" Blades of water charge at the summon spirit. She stumbles back, hit...! Who—

"Merilynn...?!"

She blinks and looks at me. "...Chester...?" She looks just like she does as Fenrir in our time, but... her clothes are different... She's wearing a silk blue shirt and nice black pants. "Chester...!" She runs over and—hugs me?! "I wasn't expecting to meet you here!"

"Ow, ow! Get offa me!"

"Sorry, sorry~!" She lets go and backs up. "What are you doing here?"

"Currently, trying to make a pact," I explain.

"A pact...?"

I jerk a thumb back at Celsius. "Dad's trying to make a pact with the summon spirit you just attacked."

"Oh... Sorry. I thought she was going to hurt you guys."

"Well, I need a ring before I can make anything official..."

"A ring? What type of ring?" Merilynn asks.

"Any that's like this." He shows her his colorful array of rings.

"Hm... How about this?" She holds up a sapphire ring...! She has it in a plastic bag, since it's silver...

"That would be perfect. Do you mind if I take that?"

"Not at all! I don't really like this spirit, so if you take her away, you'll be doing me a favor. I don't like this ring, either... I inherited from my father, though, so..." She hurries over to Dad and hands him the ring.

"Thank you." He takes the ring out of the bag and holds it out. "Now then, as I was saying... I request a pact with you. To protect the future of two worlds."

"Of two worlds... huh... Very well. I accept your pact." She closes her eyes and turns into a ball of mana. She then enters the ring.

"Well, now that that's done... This is Merilynn?" Dad asks as he turns to her.

"Yep. It's been a while!" I greet the girl.

"It sure has! I was beginning to think I'd never see you again!" she says with a smile.

"C'mon, I told you I'd stop by sometime..." This Merilynn... isn't like Fenrir... She's changed by our time...

She glances around. She hurries over to the half elf, who looks kinda annoyed. "You must be Arche-chan!"

"Ah... Y-yep! It's nice to meetcha!"

"The pleasure's all mine~! I've heard so much about you!"

"Ehhh? Really? Like what?" Arche's suddenly excited... Please be careful what you say, Merilynn...

"Let's see..." She thinks. "Chester said that you're annoying, talkative, stupid, obnoxious, impulsive, immature... Did I miss anything?"

...Dammit Merilynn.

"...Chesterrrrr..." Arche turns to me. Ack...

"Y-you see, that was..."

"You stupid, dense, moronic, insensitive _jerk_!"

"E-eh?!"

"ERUPTION!"

"Ow!" That burns...!

"Ah... That went over worse than I thought it would..." I hear Merilynn say. Keh...

Well, we send introductions around again...

"And this is a kid we're helping, Marcus."

"Oh, I know him already."

"You do?"

"Of course! He's my younger brother!"

...Eh? Then Merilynn is his 'scary older sister'...?

Come to think of it, he's moved away from our group quite a bit...

"Wait, since when did you have a younger brother...?"

"He was born after I last saw you. My father married another woman, you see. So we're really only half siblings, but... We're still siblings!" She smiles. "And all we've got is each other!"

The way they view each other is completely different... Why is Marcus scared of her...? I mean, I'd understand if it was the future her, but... I glance at him. He's looking between me and Merilynn, scared. Wait... I think I get it...

It's because... we're werewolves... isn't it...?

"Marcus, I was really worried about you..." Merilynn says as she walks over to him. "You know it's dangerous to leave town..."

"I-I... I don't need you...!"

"Marcus, you're going to get yourself hurt."

"Shut up...! Leave me alone...!"

"...Then come home. I won't bother you for the rest of the day... I promise."

"O-only if that lady comes, too..." He glances at Mint. Well, at least he likes one of us.

"Of course! These people are going to be guests for as long as they want!"

"I-I don't want... the other wolf... to come..."

"Other wolf...?" Merilynn blinks and looks up at us, a frown on her face. "None of you are wolves, right...?"

I guess it's time to fess up... "Actually... I am."

"Chester...?!"

"I found out soon after that last time I saw you..."

"O-oh... I'm sorry..."

Come to think of it, even her future-self showed some regret about that turn of events...

"I didn't bite you, did I...?"

Ack... Well, uh, kinda... but... "Don't worry. The wolf that bit me was an adult." That's true... so hopefully...

"...Well, we have to stick together, then! If you need any help, just let me know! I'm quite used to this by now!"

"Thanks."

"But for now... Promise to stay away from Marcus for the night?" She asks, putting her hands together pleadingly.

"All right. I promise."

"See there?" She asks, turning to Marcus with a grin.

"Are... any others... wolves...?"

"No. Just me."

"...All right..."

"Then let's go!" She leads the way out of the cave.

I have a lot I want to ask her... but it can wait. We have time, right?

I must admit... I do feel kinda bad doing this to her... I'm here to learn how to defeat her in the future, after all. But... I don't really like who she becomes in the future...

I wonder why she changes... I'm kinda scared to find out...

**Cless received the title of Dense Romantic. It's a title given to one who unknowingly makes a girl's heart fly on a cold day.**

**Ami received the title of Jealous Kid. Cless-san... Why can't I hold his hand instead...?**

**Chester and Ami received the title of Sibling Bond. It's a title given to siblings who are very close.**

**Klarth can now summon Celsius.**


	79. Dense Jealousy

**--Dense Jealousy--**

We walk through the snow, back to the city. Merilynn's quite talkative... She and Arche are going on about fashion now. Marcus stays in the back... Ami tries talking to him, but he doesn't seem to want to talk much. He's completely opposite of his sister... but then again, I guess Ami and I are opposites in many areas.

Everyone stares at us as we walk through town. I guess 'cause we're traveling with the royal family. Merilynn waves at some of the guys, who are quite eager to see her. Others look fearful of her. Don't really seem to be any in-betweens...

"Hey, Arche, are you and Chester together?"

"E-eh?! Of course not...! He's a complete and total jerkface!"

"Hey, I can hear you, ditz."

"Really..." our hostess thinks for a moment before turning to walk backwards, facing Arche, a smile on her face. "Why don't I set you up with a guy while you're here, then~? I think I know the _perfect_ guy for you!"

What the hell...?!

"That sounds great! Thanks!"

Keh... both of them are annoying...

"Is that okay, Chester?" Merilynn asks me.

"Why should I care?"

"Then it's settled! Marcus, take everyone to the castle. Arche, come with me!" The young queen grabs Arche's hand, and the two jog off.

...Why do I feel so... so...

I don't even know _how_ I feel...

"Chester...? Are you okay...?" Cless speaks up.

"I'm fine! Let's just get to the stupid castle already!"

"Sure you are..." Dad mutters sarcastically.

"I said I'm fine, so I'm fine!"

Keh... We walk to the castle. When the guards stop us, Marcus moves to the front.

"These are... guests..." He glances at me, nervous.

"Understood. We're glad to see that you're safe, Marcus-sama." They move out of our way, and we walk in. It's still cold in here... but I think things have warmed up a little since Dad got Celsius. Marcus tells us where the guest rooms, though it feels more like he was talking to Mint... He then runs off.

"Well, I guess we're free to do whatever until Merilynn needs us," Dad says. "I'm going to go warm up some..."

"I'll come with you..." my kid sister agrees. The two head off to find somewhere warm.

"Mint, is there anywhere you want to go...?" Cless asks.

"Ah, um..."

"There's a garden in the center of the castle," I tell them. "It was a nice snowy garden seven years ago."

"That sounds lovely..." Mint says.

"Shall we, then?"

"Yes..." Cless and Mint walk off.

Dhaos starts walking as well...

"Where are you going?" Milard asks.

"To gather information."

"Good idea. I'm going to stock up on items, and then I'll join you in that." She turns to me and Suzu. "What about you two?"

"I'll come with you," Suzu says.

"Might as well."

Milard smiles. "Then, let's go." We walk back out of the castle and start searching for the item shop.

...Something seems odd... It's almost like...

"...There's someone following us," Suzu mutters.

"Eh?"

"Yeah, I hear 'em..." I agree. "Let's turn down this alley." Milard follows my instructions. We then pull out our weapons and turn to the entrance of the alley.

A man cloaked in white is standing there. Wait, that scent...!

"What on Aselia are _you_ doing here...?!" I ask as I lower my bow.

"Chester-kun, do you know who this is?" Milard asks.

"Sauound Janos, right?"

"I ask that you not use my name while I am here." He walks over. "I will no doubt be killed if I am found."

"So... what are you doing here?"

"...I have come to challenge Merilynn. However, if I talk to her directly, she will no doubt start using magic and exhaust both of us."

"Because magic kills you, right?"

"...So you have finally learned the truth..."

"Yeah..."

"...You are working with Merilynn now, correct? I ask that you deliver a message for me. Tell her to meet me in Valhalla in three days. Tell her that if she is not prepared, I will easily overpower her." He puts his hand on the Flamberge.

"Right..."

"That is all." He turns and starts walking away.

Wait a sec... "Hold on. If you can overpower her, then why don't you just kill her now?"

He stops. Glancing back at us, he answers, "Thor is no more. The ninja have captured Curtis and are now holding him in their custody. Now it is time that Merilynn and I end this war once and for all..."

"So the answer is for one of you to die?" Milard asks.

"Perhaps..." He starts walking again. "I suggest you tell her to hurry." He turns around the corner.

"Keh... He's as arrogant as always..." I mutter.

"If the answer is truly for just one of them to die... then he could've taken care of it now," Milard says. "He's hiding something..."

"Yeah, but what?"

"I suppose we'll just have to find out when we meet him in Valhalla."

"Wait," Suzu speaks up. "Sauound was wearing a cloak..."

"Yeah, so?"

"Sardon said something about that. Some 'cloaked men' ended the war with the Flamberge and the Vorpal Sword."

"The Vorpal Sword is the ice one, right? Maybe that's what Merilynn needs to find..."

"And with the two swords, they'll 'end the war'..." Milard finishes. "I'm only worried about exactly what that entails."

"We'll talk to Sardon about this later. For now, let's find Merilynn," I suggest.

"You go ahead and tell her the news. Suzu, help me stock up on items."

"Right." I wave to the two and head off through the snowy city. She has to be around here somewhere... and Arche's with her. Not that Arche matters... I just have to deliver a message to Merilynn. The sooner the better, right?

Well, this is Arche's scent... If I follow this, I can find them... It leads to... a theater? I enter.

Arche and Merilynn are here, flirting with some guys. Something about this ticks me off... I walk over.

The queen notices me first. "Ah, Chester! Come join us!"

"Eh? Chester? What are you doing here?"

"...Message. For Merilynn."

"For me?"

"Wait a minute, why do you suddenly have a message for her?!"

"A-Arche-chan..." one of the boys speaks up. Keh...

"A short, arrogant guy with blond hair has challenged you to a dual."

"Eh...? ...Oooh, you mean _that_ guy... Where is he?"

"It's at Valhalla, in three days. He said you need to prepare."

"I'm prepared!"

"No, you're not. He has the Flamberge."

"The what?"

"The Flamberge. It's a fire sword. I've heard there's an ice one called the Vorpal Sword."

"And I need to find that in three days...? Geez, he doesn't know how to give a girl a break..." Merilynn complains. "I'll have someone look into where I can get it. In the meantime, just relax! I'll come find out when I learn something!" She then turns to the other guys. "Sorry, but looks like something's come up... I'll see you guys later, okay~?"

"All right!"

She hurries out. Well now what...

"So you guys will be back in a few days, right?"

"Sounds like it," Arche says.

"Perfect! Think you could help us with something?"

"What is it?"

"Well, we want to liven things up around here some... so we thought a play would be a good idea. But we don't have any actors..."

"So you want us to act for you?"

"Bingo! We'll be sure to pay you for it."

"Now hold on. We're not acting," I protest.

"Please? Prince Marcus' birthday is coming up..."

"Hm... A play _could_ help calm him down..." Arche points out.

"And I'm sure the queen would be very grateful!"

"Not to mention the people of Friezkiel!"

I feel like I'm being teamed up on... I sigh. "All right, whatever. I'll ask the others."

"Thank you so much! If you'll bring them here, we'll give you the script. Oh, and don't let the Randalls know!"

"The Randalls?"

"The royal family. Their last name is Randall."

"Right... Arche, you go find Milard and Suzu—they're getting supplies. I'll get everyone in the castle."

"Okay!" We leave the theater and head off in opposite directions. I soon reach the castle, and the guards let me through. Let's see... Ami and Dad should be in the guest rooms, Cless and Mint in the garden... and Dhaos is wandering around. I head to the garden first.

The swing set is still here... But it looks like it hasn't been used recently—snow's piled up all over it. I glance around. Cless and Mint aren't here... I guess I'll find them later. I head to the guest rooms next.

One of the doors is open. I walk in—they're all here, even Dhaos...

"Ah, Chester! Welcome back," Cless greets. "Where are Milard and Suzu?"

"Arche's getting them. Looks like some of her friends want us to put on a play in a few days... We're supposed to meet at the theater."

"All right. Let's go, then. We can talk about what to do next there," Dad says as he stands.

"That's already been taken care of." I tell them about our meeting with Sauound. "We're gonna help Merilynn find the Vorpal Sword... She's getting some information on it now."

"Well, I guess that means we can relax, then."

"Before we go, I should tell you what I found," Dhaos speaks up. "Close that door."

Him ordering me around annoys me... but I do it anyway.

"So what's up?"

"Do you know what happened to Merilynn's father?"

"No... All I know is that Merilynn disappeared for thirteen years after finding out that she's a werewolf."

"It seems that two years ago, she returned... with a pack of wolves. She attacked the castle and killed both her father and the queen."

"The queen... Marcus' mother?"

"Yes."

"So she came back on the path of revenge..." Dad speaks up. "But why didn't she kill Marcus...?"

"I asked that as well. No one knew, but they said that before that day, he'd been excited about the idea of meeting his sister. Afterwards, he started growing cold and silent."

"Poor Marcus-san... That must've been hard for him..." Ami says.

Merilynn killed them... Maybe she's more like the Fenrir we know than I thought...

"I guess that explains why he's so scared of wolves..." the cleric points out.

Because his parents were killed by wolves... I guess I can't blame him for that... After what happened to my parents...

"We'll have to be careful not to scare Marcus. For now, let's go hear about that play," Cless suggests. He glances at me.

"Yeah, right. This way." I open the door and exit the room. I lead the others back to the theater.

The other three are already here and waiting for us.

"Took you long enough, slow poke!" Arche taunts me.

"I had further to go than you. And more people to round out."

"You still took forever!"

"Did not!"

"Children!" Milard... Keh...

"Is this everyone?" one of the young men who runs the place asks.

"Yep!" answers the witch.

"Perfect! We won't even have to do any more recruiting with this many! And I think I know who you should each be... Here are your scripts." He passes each of us a set of papers.

"Wait, I did not necessarily agree to this," Dhaos protests.

"Come on, Dhaos-san! It'll be fun!" my kid sister says.

"We don't often get a chance to relax like this... I think we should all take full advantage of it. It'll be good for us to ease our minds some," Milard points out. "You can't argue against that, can you?"

"Perhaps, but participating in a _play_ is—"

"—just what we need to forget about our troubles!" Ami finishes.

"Precisely."

"...You two are impossible..."

Geez... When Ami and Milard gang up, they can be pretty pushy... Well, I guess we're all stuck doing this now. I glance at my script. Huh... "I'm the hero?"

"You may be the hero, but I'm the star!" Arche pipes up.

"The star? How are you the star if I'm the hero?"

"I don't know—I'm cooler than you, probably!"

"Yeah right."

"Eh...? I'm the evil enchantress...?" Ami speaks up.

"Well that'll be amusing. Like you can act evil..."

"I'm the evil prince... Looks like we may be working together, Ami," the swordsman says.

"R-really...?!"

"I'm the evil _warlock_," Dad adds.

"Actually, the evil witch..." the man who handed us the script says.

"The male version of a witch is a warlock."

"Yes, but... Well, you'll see once you read the script..."

"What are you, Suzu-chan?" Ami asks.

"I'm the pirate."

"Eh?!"

"Does that make you a ninja pirate now?" I joke.

"Mint, what are you?" Cless turns to her.

"I'm the good knight..."

"And you, Milard?" Dad questions, still sounding unhappy.

"I'm the narrator."

"What about you, Dhaos-san?"

"I'm... the 'magical helper'..."

"Eh? What does that mean?" my kid sister asks.

"I'm uncertain..."

"Well this should be a failure of a play..." I mutter.

"We'll have everything ready once you get back. Thank you again for your help with this!"

"No problem," Milard tells the man. "Well, we should probably get some lunch before Merilynn finds us."

"Good idea." We head back out into the city and look for a restaurant. It's not hard to find one—looks like this one's a full bar later at night. The way the tables are set up makes me think of the dwarves.

Speaking of, don't we need to go back and see Ifalde again? I almost completely forgot...

Well, we grab two tables near each other. I'm sitting with Cless, Mint, and Arche, while the other five are sitting at the other table. Cless and Mint I don't mind... but why Arche? A server soon comes over and takes our orders—I think a hamburger sounds good for today. After taking our orders, he goes over to the other table.

"So Cless, Mint! What was with the hand holding in the cave, anyway?" Arche taunts. The other two turn bright red. Heh...

"A-Arche-chan..."

"T-that was... I was helping Mint out... It was nothing more..."

"In that case, mind if I 'help Mint out' a little?" I joke.

"Chester...!"

I laugh. "Of course you do. You want Mint all for yourself!"

"It's... not like that..."

"Really... Hey, Mint, you should talk to some of those guys at the playhouse! One of them—Sam—is really nice!"

"Arche...!"

"Uh-oh, Cless is mad."

Mint stares down at the table, very red. The server comes back and places food in front of us, but Mint doesn't move. When he's gone, she finally speaks up, "That's okay... I'm fine..."

"But you need a boyfriend!"

"Oh yeah, and getting one in the past, in a country we're not even staying in long, is _really_ smart..." I mutter sarcastically. Ow! She didn't have to kick me...

"Chester-san's right... Besides..." Mint glances up at Cless, who's already watching her. They stare at each other a moment.

"Mission: success~!" I hear Arche murmur right before she takes a bite of her eggs. Arche...

"You're not seriously gonna bother with dating anyone in this time, are you?" I ask her.

"Of course not! I was only using that to get to Cless a little."

"Arche...!"

"Oops, he heard..."

Hm? Dad, Milard, and Ami are laughing at the other table... Even Dhaos looks amused... What happened over there...? "Hey, what's so funny?" I ask them. In response, the three start laughing harder. Hey, are they laughing at me...?!

"I'll tell you once we're out of the city, Chester..." Dad manages to say.

"_Really_ comforting..." Keh... I continue eating.

"Don't be mad, Cless... This is in your best interest!"

"_How_...?"

"Just trust me on this!"

"Who would trust you on anything?" Ow...! "Stop kicking me!"

"Stop being a jerk!"

"You're the ditz!"

"Am not!"

"Are to!"

"Aw, you two would make a cute couple~!"

"We would not!" We both yell at...

"Wait, Merilynn?" When'd she get here?

She smiles and takes a seat between me and Arche. "Looks like there's rumors of a powerful weapon in Arlee! We're headed there once you guys are ready!"

"We're just about ready," Milard says. Looks like they're done laughing...

"Great! I'll handle your check!" Merilynn jumps up and hurries over to the bar. She pays for our food there.

Well, we all quickly finish eating. We then stand and join her. The young queen leads us outside, and then out of the city. "We'll catch a boat from the port!"

"We don't need to bother with a boat. We can fly there," I tell her.

"Fly...? How...?"

"You'll see."

Once we get safely outside of the city, I pull out my wing pack. I open it up and release the Rheairds.

"Chester, get on behind me so I can tell you what we were laughing at," Dad says as he takes off his pact rings and pockets them.

"Right. Thanks for taking off the rings." We all hop on the Rheairds and take off for Arlee.

"So, what is it?" I ask him once we're in the air.

"Check out your script. Your final battle against me. It should be near the end."

Huh...? I pull out my script and flip through the pages. I'm looking for the witch then, right...? Ah, here we go—wait, that's not a battle... Ah, this must be it. Hm... Looks like a pretty standard battle... I save Arche... but Dad's still alive... So then Arche will—

"Oh hell no..."

"I think I'll endure any part just to see that scene."

"It's not happening! Turn this thing around—I'm getting this changed!"

"It's too late for that, Chester."

"You did this on purpose...!"

"You don't really have to do anything, you know..."

"Shut it...! We're not..." I _really_ don't like this play...

"Chester? What's wrong?" Arche asks.

"Nothing!"

"This is going to be an interesting play..."

"It is not!" Dammit, why does my face feel so hot...?! I don't want any of this! And I definitely don't want Arche to kiss me...!

**Chester received the title of Dense Jealousy. He's so dense, he doesn't even realize when he's jealous.**

**Dhaos received the title of Information Gatherer. It's a title given to one who has gathered some interesting information.**

**Ami and Milard received the title of Pushy Duo. Don't go up against the two of them together... They know how to get their way!**

**Arche received the title of Anger Instigator. You may be mad now, but it's for your own good!**


	80. Play Skeptic

**Wow, it's been so long since I've given a title out to a reader. Anyway, David gets a title at the end for his placement of the Lunar Eclipse.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Tales series. It's owned by Namco.**

**--Play Skeptic--**

Okay, I need to calm down... Surely there's some way to avoid this... Maybe if we turn right, we don't have to kiss... Or maybe I can switch with Cless or somethi—wait, that'd make Mint mad...

Well, we're almost at Arlee—the communication book suddenly beeps.

"Talk about bad timing..." Dad mutters. "Think you can make up an excuse for your ex-girlfriend?"

Keh... "Hey, go on ahead! There's may be another spirit here—we're going to check it out!" I call to the others. Then quietly to him, I say, "That work?"

"Perfect; thank you."

"Okay! We'll meet you at the cliffs to the west!" Merilynn calls from the back of Milard's Rheaird. Dad pulls the Rheaird away, and we land just outside of the city. He then opens the book to show Sardon's smiling face.

"Sardon, this isn't really—"

"Guess what, guess what!"

"Do we _want_ to know...?" I mumble.

"I'm going to be a father!"

"...Eh?"

"I just found out! Cathy's pregnant! What should I name him? Or her?"

Is this... seriously what he called us about...?

"Congratulations and all, Sardon, but have you forgotten that we're in the middle of a dangerous battle...?" Dad says.

"I'm thinking Anathon if it's a boy! Oh, but Talose might be a good name, too! And if it's a girl, maybe Neriina! That's pretty, don't'cha think?"

"And... he's not even listening..." I mutter.

"Well, no matter what, I know he or she will be pretty like Cathy! And I'll teach them to research like me!"

"We really need to get back to—"

"Maybe one day they can go on an adventure! I'll teach them how to fight! Or send them—"

Dad closes the book. "How long do you think it'll be until he realizes we've hung up on him?"

"Probably a few hours. Or a day."

"Well, we'll tell the others tonight and send him our congratulations. For now, we should get back to the others." We hop back on the Rheaird and fly over to the cliffs. I see them—they wave up at us as we find a landing spot. They left the other Rheairds out. Once landed, I return all the machines to the wing pack, and we follow the path up the cliffs to the others.

They're waiting for us. "Did you find anything?" the queen asks.

"Nope, false alarm. What about you guys?"

"Not yet... but I won't stop 'til I find this ice sword!"

"Sounds good. Lead the way, then." We continue following the path until it ends. Looks like we'll have to climb to get to the next good ledge... Arche gives my sister and Mint rides, but the rest of us are left to climb.

I wonder if Arche knows about the script yet...

Keh, I shouldn't think about that stupid thing... I continue climbing. We soon all reach the top of this cliff. Good, looks like this path goes for a while... We follow it. Ami stays in the back, reading her script as we walk.

"Be careful, or you'll trip," I tease her.

"Ah...!" She stops dead in her tracks. "O-Onii-chan...! I'm trying to concentrate!"

"Wow, you didn't fall! I'm shocked!"

"Of course I didn't fall! I don't fall often!"

"Yeah right. I think you deserve the title 'Childish Klutz'."

"I'm not a klutz...!" She storms past me, angry.

"Yeah, yeah. Keep telling yourself that."

She turns so that she's walking backwards and cutely sticks her tongue out at me. Heh heh...

She turns back around—wait, she's too close to the edge...! "Ami...!" I run over—I'm not going to make it...!

Dhaos... saved her...? He pulls her back up, so she's on her feet.

"Ah... Thank you, Dhaos-san...!"

"You shouldn't play around on cliffs."

"Right!"

He turns and starts walking. "Let's go." All of us pause for a second and exchange surprised glances before following.

...He beat me to saving my sister...

"Chester? Are you all right?" Cless asks.

"I'm fine. Just annoyed at Dhaos."

"Eh? But he just saved Ami..."

"Yeah, but I still hate him."

"Chester... This really isn't something you should be stubborn about..."

"Something about him just pisses me off."

"I'd guess it's because Ami wants to be his friend," Milard interjects. "She also has a strong desire to be Suzu's friend... Maybe she likes befriending the lonely types?"

"If she tries befriending Sauound, I'm sending her home!"

"And because you're so overprotective of her, you get angry when she befriends a man of that type..."

"Stop with the weird analysis already! It's not like that! I'm not overprotective!" Keh... I quicken my pace.

"He really is overprotective, isn't he..."

"He's _far_ too overprotective..."

I am not...! You know what, Milard teaming up with _anyone_ is dangerous. And annoying!

Huh...? There are two people here... and they look familiar... A blonde woman and a brunet man... Where have I seen them before...?

"This time, you will not escape alive..." the woman says.

"Wait, who are you guys again?"

"Svana and Hession. We met you in the country of Odin."

"Oooh right, I remember now. You're the ones who trapped us in those mines."

"Hession Maliott... Didn't you used to work for Enma?" Dhaos speaks up. Who...?

"That was long ago. I broke all ties with the government long ago."

"And now you're working against our world..."

"Working against...? This is for the better! You know as well as I do that the gods have offered to help us move to Aselia!"

Huh...?

"Besides... You're the one who's _working_ with the person that almost destroyed the Giant Kharlan Tree!" Uh-oh...

"What are you talking about?"

"The tree was attacked by the summon spirits of Aselia. The only one who could do that is the man over there—the summoner, Klarth F. Lester!"

"That wasn't his fault! He was—"

Dhaos moves too fast—he grabs Dad by the neck. "You..."

"Dhaos, stop!"

"Dhaos-san!"

Keh, that Hession jerk's smiling. "Now do you see? These people don't care about us at all..."

"Help us, Dhaos. We'll make sure that the people of Derris-Kharlan are cared for..." the girl—a valkyrie, if I remember correctly—speaks up.

"And what about our home? I have not come all this way just to let down the people who are counting on me...!"

"Origin!"

"Gravity Well!"

As the spells hit our two enemies, Dhaos lets go. Did they just... do a unison attack? ...Why do I feel like I'm missing something here?

"Silence!" Milard quickly uses it on the enemy angel.

"Why you...!" Hession quickly pulls out his sword and attacks—Cless moves in and blocks. Meanwhile the kids hurry and attack the valkyrie. I notch an arrow and take aim.

"Piercing Line!" Ha, went straight through Hession's stomach.

"Holy Song...!"

"To the light that shines like the heavens, hear my call..."

"Ice Fang!"

"To the gates of the underworld, open up and hear thy call..."

"Silent Reaper...!"

"Come forth, lightning of the gods...! Indignation!" At Arche's call, lightning crashes down all around us, striking our enemies. Geez, that spell's strong... I just hope she never uses it on me...

"Hession, we're retreating."

"Already?"

"You can't heal our wounds like that. Come on!"

The angel scowls, but the two fly off. Well that didn't take long...

"Aww, I never got a proper introduction..." Ack, I completely forgot about Merilynn! "Interesting how they can both fly, though... What exactly are they...?"

"Uh, well... you see..."

"And that Derris-whatever that was mentioned... I've never learned about any of that stuff..." she says. "Then again, my teacher was just a maid..."

"We'll talk later. For now, we should find that sword," Milard suggests.

"Oh right, I took a look over there while you guys were fighting. I saw a treasure chest... Come on!" Merilynn hurries off down a small side path, and we quickly follow. Sure enough, there's a treasure chest at the end. The young queen jogs over and opens it with ease.

"I... don't think this is the right thing. This might be a good weapon for Dhaos, though." She pulls out a pair of dark bracers—wait...

"That's..."

"The Andvarinaut," Suzu finishes.

"The what?"

"The fifth Devil's Arm."

"I'll take that, then..." Milard stores the thing in the pack. Come to think of it, what did she do with the broom and the hammer? Does that pack open up into another dimension or something?

"Well this seems to be a bust, then... Let's drop by town; we can figure out where to go next from there," Merilynn suggests. We nod and start heading back.

It's unusually quiet... I guess we all have questions we want to ask, but... not until we get away from Merilynn.

After a little while, Arche starts trying to make a conversation. She and Merilynn soon start talking about the boys from the theater. Keh... Of all things they have to talk about, why that...?

We soon reach town. Finally... Merilynn leads us to the pub. "Go ahead and sit down and have a drink. I'm going to send word to continue the search, and then I'll meet up with you guys!" she tells us before hurrying off.

"Okay." We don't enter.

Dhaos glares at us, not happy at all. "Tell me everything."

"...I will. But we'll gather unwanted attention if we stand out here." Dad finally enters the pub, and the rest of us follow. We find two large tables in the corner and pull them together.

"Look, the one who really attacked your tree was Odin. He was using that possession power of his to control Dad. He used that to try and turn me and Cless against each other, too."

The angel pauses. What's he thinking...?

"Dhaos-san...?"

"You all knew this?"

"I didn't know the details, but I knew that Klarth was possessed by Odin," Milard speaks up.

"I didn't know anything..." Ami says.

"...The rest of us knew."

"And you didn't say anything? That's vital information. If he had told me back when we first met him, things might have been different. Did you think I wouldn't be able to handle hearing the truth?"

"To be honest, I wasn't sure. I'm kind of surprised you used it as a bluff to buy us time," Dad says. "Why didn't you turn on us?"

"...I don't know. I suppose in the end, you're more trustworthy than a traitor and a valkyrie."

"Well, that's good to know."

"Heh heh..."

"Ami-chan? What's so funny?"

"I'm just so relieved... I had nothing to worry about—we're all really good friends!"

"I'm not sure I would go that far..." I mutter. "So, now Suzu's turn for an explanation. We get a new part of the story, right?"

The ninja pauses.

"Suzu...?"

"Sorry I'm late!" Ack, Merilynn... She takes a seat. "So, did I miss anything?"

"Nope, nothing."

"So, what were those enemies? And that Der-thing they talked about?"

"Uh, well... We're not fully sure what they were, either!" Arche lies. "That Hession guy and Dhaos are from the same place, though... It's an island off somewhere far away called Derris-Kharlan. Right, Dhaos?"

He doesn't answer.

"Really... What's your race called?" Merilynn asks him.

"...Los-fugl."

"Eh?"

Where did he...

"It comes from an ancient language. I suppose the best translation for it would be 'bird of light'."

Ancient angelic... of course...

"Interesting... I wonder if Marcus would be interested in something like that..." Merilynn pauses a moment before continuing, "Well, I sent some knights to the Limestone Cavern to check and see if there was anything there. They're almost there now, so we can rest until they get back here."

"Sounds good."

"Well, I don't know about you, but I'm going to drink up! Who's with me?"

"I am!" Arche cheers.

"Yes, that does sound good," Dad agrees.

"Don't you two remember what happened last time?" questions Milard.

"Let bygones be bygones."

"Honestly, you're so irresponsible..."

"No, I think he has the right idea in mind here," I speak up.

"If you try, I'm lacing it with wolfsbane."

"Hey, why are you picking on me?"

"You pick on everyone else, so why not?"

Ack...

"She's got you there!" says the witch.

"At least I'm not annoying."

"Hey, are you calling me annoying?!"

"You have to ask? Your brain must be getting worse!"

"Why you stupid...!" Uh-oh, she's charging up...

"You know what, how 'bout I go get a room at the inn? Ami, Suzu, come on..." I stand and quickly hurry away. I don't really want to be hit by Indignation...

The kids follow me to the inn and town, and I buy one room for now. Not sure if we'll be staying the night or not, but it's nice to unload. Milard soon enters; she sets the bag down and sits down on the bed with a sigh. "You know, getting drunk on a journey like this _isn't_ smart. Especially when we're so close to finishing this..." Hm? She has the communication book...

"Hey, why'd you bring that?"

"Oh, Klarth told me about Sardon's news right before I left. We should congratulate him."

"Huh? What happened?" Ami asks.

"Uh, well..."

"He's going to be a father soon."

"Wow, that's great!"

Milard smiles and opens up the book, and my kid sister quickly goes over and sits next to her. Suzu and I go over as well, but we keep our distance.

"Klarth-s—ah, Milard-san! And Ami!"

"Hello, Sardon."

"Klarth-san and Chester hung up on me..." he whines.

"We figured it'd be better to let you calm down some," I tell him.

"Ah, Chester! You're there, too?!"

"And Suzu, in case you're thinking about talking behind her back. But that wouldn't really be smart, with her being a ninja and all..."

"S-sorry..."

"Congratulations, Sardon. We heard the news," Milard tells him with a warm smile on her face.

"Yes, congratulations!" my sister pipes up.

"Heh heh, thank you! You have to come meet him after he's born! He's due in the winter!"

"We'll definitely stop by."

"I'm so excited! I've never been a father before! I wonder if I'll do things right..."

"Sardon, you _never_ do things right..." I say.

"I hear it comes naturally..." Milard tells him. "But I'm afraid I can't help you much on that subject..."

"Especially with how slow Dad is, right?"

"Chester...!"

"Eh? You two still aren't together?" Heh, thanks, Sardon!

"...That's enough of this conversation." Milard closes the book, her face red.

"What, embarrassed?"

"That's enough."

"Fine, fine..." I know better than to mess with her...

"Hey, do you think Cless-san will be coming here any time soon?" Ami asks after a minute.

"I doubt it. Now's probably the perfect time for you to work on that doll. As for the rest of us... we should look over those scripts."

"Yeah, yeah..." I pull mine out. Keh... Meanwhile, Ami pulls the doll she's working on out of the pack and starts sewing.

"Chester-kun, do you need me to go get Arche-chan so you can practice?"

Ack... "No...! We're not doing that part...!" Keh... I look at the script. Hm... Looks like a typical fairytale... So by 'star', they meant an _actual_ star... weird...

...And geez, that star character somehow manages to be an even bigger ditz than Arche... I guess Arche playing her is appropriate...

Well, this shouldn't be too hard to memorize... and if I forget a part, it should be easy to improvise.

...Maybe I should just improvise the whole thing. This script is _horribly_ cheesy. And stupid. Not to mention cliché.

"Chester. Perhaps we should practice our part together while we have some time," Suzu suggests.

"Yeah, good idea. So let's see... you're the pirate... Here we go." The ninja tosses me her dagger, which I catch. I go ahead and unsheathe it, holding it in my right hand. I hold the script in my left hand so I can read it. "We seem to be on a ship... Do I seriously have to say that? The narrator just said it."

"It's better to follow the script than to make things up," Milard speaks up.

"Yeah, yeah... Anyway, uh... Hopefully we're far away from that witch."

"Who's there?" Suzu reads her short line.

I hold up the dagger like a sword. "My name's hero, apparently."

"Chester, this is practice."

"Right, right, sorry. I mean... Give me your name, and I shall give you mine!"

"Don't you have any common sense? This is my ship."

"I think you're supposed to emphasize the 'my' there," our watcher suggests.

"...Don't you have any common sense? This is _my_ ship."

"Where is this ship going? We need safe passage away from Flanoir."

"So you stow away on a ship, wave a sword in the owner's face, and then demand free passage?"

I lower the dagger-sword. "My apologizes. We're a little on-edge... A witch just tried to kill my friend here."

"...Give me one good reason why I shouldn't make you... walk the plank."

"Okay, Suzu. Try that again. You're a pirate for this, not a ninja—you need to loosen up some."

"...I'll try. Please do your line again."

"Right... Uh... A witch just tried to kill my friend here."

"Uh...huh... And give me one good reason why I shouldn't make you walk the plank."

"I don't have any money... but if you give us safe passage, I'll help out around the ship until we get there."

"Well, I'm a little low on hands, so that's fine. I'm escorting someone else... You'll be in charge of attending to her. I'll be right back."

Milard claps. "Very good. Ami, do you need to practice?"

"Nope. My part's small, so I memorized it when we were walking earlier."

"...You're going to mess up," I tell her.

"I'm not going to mess up...!"

"Yeah you are."

"No I won't! You just watch!"

"Fine then. When you mess up, I'll—"

The door swings open—Cless? I glance back at Ami—she's holding the doll behind herself.

"The knights have run into some trouble—we have to go help them! Arche and Merilynn have already left..."

"Where are they?"

"Limestone Cavern."

"All right." I hand Suzu her dagger back, and we quickly stuff everything in the pack. Milard slings it over her shoulder, and we hurry out—everyone's waiting for us. Once outside, I bring out the Rheairds and hop on. We lift off into the sky and head for the cavern.

We land outside—looks like the girls have already gone in. And—I hear fighting...! I pull out my bow and notch an arrow on it. "Come on!" We run into the cavern, the others quickly pulling out their weapons as well.

There they are—they're fighting a knight...?! He's using a dark looking bow—a Devil's Arm...?! I run over and jump in the air, aiming at the ground—"Sonic Bash!" The rocks hit the guy. Heh...

An arrow appears on the Devil's Arm—oh that's not even fair...! He shoots—it splits into pieces—ah...!

"Freeze Lancer!" Merilynn uses it on the knight. The spell knocks the bow out of his hands and over this way—I've got it—ah...!

Dammit, I fell in the water... Keh... I swim to the surface with the Devil's Arm.

"Chester!" Cless hurries over to help me out, while the witch laughs.

"I can't believe you actually fell in!"

"Shut it... I hate this cavern..."

"Ah... Y-your Majesty...!" The knight we were fighting suddenly grovels before the queen. Huh...? There are other knights around, but they all look to be on our side... It was just this one guy...

"What... happened...?" Merilynn asks, sounding just as confused as I feel.

Suzu walks over to me and holds her hands out for the Devil's Arm; I hand it over. She then turns to everyone. "This is the next part of the story. If anyone uses a Devil's Arm, then it'll engulf them in a darkness... in a desire to use that power to spill more blood." Milard takes the bow from her and stores it in the pack.

So that's what it is...

"So... he was possessed?"

"Something like that."

"Hm... I see... Well, you guys return to the castle on ship; I'll figure out what to do by then," Merilynn tells the knights. She's even more relaxed than Curtis...

"Yes, Your Majesty!" The knights hurry back to their boat.

"So then, how about a picnic before heading back?"

A picnic...? ...Somehow, that makes me feel uneasy... "No. Let's just go back..."

"We'll go back to the castle, then," Merilynn says as we start walking back out of this place. "Hopefully they'll have another place for us to look there."

"Right..." Why do I get the feeling that we're just going in circles...?

**Ami received the title of Childish Klutz. It's a title given to her by Chester.**

**Ami received the title of Antisocial Friend. It's a title given to one who likes to make friends with the antisocial types.**

**Dhaos received the title of Loyal Bluffer. He may be good at bluffs, but it seems that he's really on our side after all.**

**Chester received the title of Play Skeptic. I know this play is going to be horrible...**

**David received the title of Unlucky Placer. It's not too bad getting my weapon here, there's just a little bit of wat--ack!**

**Obtained the Andvarinaut.**

**Obtained the Lunar Eclipse.**

**Arche learned Indignation.**


	81. Sympathetic Listener

**...Note to self: don't listen to extremely sad songs when writing. (Why am I still listening to it...?)**

**Anyway, enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Same as always.  
**

**--Sympathetic Listener--**

We hop on the Rheairds and fly back to Friezkiel. We land just outside and head into the castle. Merilynn turns to us once inside. "Any requests for dinner?"

"As long as it has meat, I'm happy."

The young woman laughs. "Yep, you're definitely a wolf!"

"Will there be dessert?" my kid sister asks.

"Of course! You can't leave Friezkiel without trying our famous ice cream!"

"Yay!"

"Well, feel free to relax again. I'll come get you when something happens!" Merilynn waves and hurries off.

We're doing a lot of relaxing here... Somehow, I don't think Sauound will give us a time extension...

"So... now what?" I ask them.

"Maybe we should practice the play some!" the witch suggests.

"That sounds like a good idea," Dad speaks up. "Maybe we should practice the final scene."

"_No_."

"Eh? What's wrong with the final scene?" That ditz hasn't even looked at it yet...

"...Oh... Oh my..." Mint's looking at it...

"Eh? What is it?" Arche hovers over her shoulder. She then pauses. "E-eh...?!" Then looks up at me.

I glance away. "I'm sure we can fake it or something."

"Y-yeah... That shouldn't be hard... right? Actors do that all the time..."

"Right..." And now there's an awkward silence... Why do things feel so... so weird?

"S-so! Looks like Cless and Mint have a bit of a sword fight!" Arche suddenly speaks up.

"Ah... Cless-san, could you teach me how...?"

"Of course. Why don't we borrow some practice swords from the theater?"

"Okay."

"...I'm going to take a walk," I tell the others, and I do just that. Keh... I _really_ don't want to do this play...

Huh? Is that Marcus...? He seems to be looking for something...

He notices me. "Ah... Y-you're that... wolf..."

"...What are you looking for?"

"I-it's nothing...!"

"Maybe I can help you."

"I don't... trust you..."

"...We're more alike that you think. To be honest, I hate being a werewolf."

"You've probably killed people... like she did..."

"...I've lost control of my wolf form, but... I didn't want to hurt anyone." He's staring at the ground... Looks like he doesn't believe me. "...I'm an orphan, too, you know. My parents were killed by demons."

"They weren't killed by your sister, were they?"

"No, but... they died trying to protect me. I left the village and was found by demons... Ami was just old enough to remember them..."

"...My sister is a murderer..."

"...I won't argue that... but I will say that she's been through a lot. Your father was planning on killing her."

"That's not true...! Father loved her... He always told me about my sister—how she was always a happy girl... He always said that he wished that we could've met..."

"Is that why you wanted to meet her? Before your parents died, that is."

"...Yes... I used to dream of what it'd be like to have a kind older sister watching over me... and then I met her..."

I guess reality was a little too hard for him...

"...I don't want to talk to you anymore..." He turns and runs off—never mind, there's Merilynn. He stops in front of her.

"Marcus... and Chester...?"

"Hey," I greet.

"Dinner's ready. We're having your favorite, Marcus—meatloaf!"

"I don't care..." He's not even looking at her. "It's not the same as Mother's..."

"It's been edited again... Just try it; maybe you'll like this one..."

"You don't understand...! It'll never be the same...!" He glares up at her. "You've taken everything from me—I hate you...!" He runs past her, down the hall, while Merilynn just stands there. She looks... taken aback... and sad... She turns around and watches him turn the corner, but she neither says anything nor follows.

"Merilynn..."

"Ah..." She turns back towards me. "Sorry that you had to see that..."

"It's fine. You okay?"

"Huh...? Ah, yes!" Her mouth quickly curves into a smile. A forced smile... "So then, let's eat! Marcus has probably gone off to his room again; I'll make sure someone takes some food to him." She turns and starts quickly walking down the hall; I follow her. "Marcus is really a cute boy, isn't he? He's usually so shy, but once he has outbursts, well... He has quite the spirit!" We walk down the hall. As we walk, she explains that she's already sent for everyone; she was just looking for Marcus.

We reach the dining room; everyone except Cless and Mint are here. Merilynn hurries over and puts together a plate for Marcus as I sit down _away_ from Arche.

...Ack, I'm next to Milard...

"Chester-kun, be sure to eat some vegetables as well."

"I don't like them..."

"You need them if you're going to stay healthy." Quietly, she adds, "You _do_ want to stay healthy to beat the gods, don't you?"

"...You're going to be a scary mother when you and Dad—"

She presses her foot down on mine, hard. "Don't speak nonsense."

"Okay, okay! Sheesh..." She eases up.

Merilynn sits down. "So, let's eat!" She starts putting some meatloaf on her plate. We all fill up our plates with what we want—I put a tiny bit of peas on mine so Milard doesn't kill me or something. Looks like Cless and Mint came in when I wasn't paying attention. Well, we all eat. Merilynn and Arche are keeping up the conversation yet again... only this time they're advising Ami on guys. Keh...

"Whoever her first boyfriend is, I'm going to give him a piece of my mind first."

Merilynn laughs. "Naturally. You have to take care of your little sister, right~?"

"Exactly."

"Onii-chan..."

"Think about what Chester would do with daughters," Dad challenges. Ack...

"I think he'd be a doting dad!" Don't encourage this, Merilynn!

"Hey, you don't have room to say anything; _Sardon's_ beating you in the love department. That's kinda sad," I point out to Dad. "Besides, it can't be any worse than Arche having a family—they'd _never_ have decent meals!"

"What was that, you jerk?!"

"Nothing. I just feel sorry for the poor guy that marries you."

"He'll have it much better than any poor girl that marries you! She'd have to be insane to agree to that!"

"Well a guy would have to be insane to ask you that!"

"Ahh, such bittersweet love..." Merilynn speaks up.

"IT'S NOT LOVE!"

"Oh, it's not?"

"No!"

"Sorry. Though I must say, I don't think any girl would be insane for agreeing to marry Chester!"

"See there?"

"Merilynn doesn't count!"

"Eh? Why don't I count?"

"Never mind!"

"You're a ditz..."

"Well you're a jerk!"

"That's enough, you two," Milard finally speaks up. Keh...

Well, we finish up. That Friezkiel ice cream was really good, too! I wonder if they have any stuff like it in our time...

Merilynn tells us that they're looking for that sword, but they're still not sure where it is. "It's getting kinda late, so maybe we should continue searching again tomorrow morning? Oh! And I've heard that the local theater's putting on a play... If we find it tomorrow, then we can go to that in the evening to celebrate!"

"Sounds good..." Heh, won't she be in for a surprise.

"So then! Chester, mind coming with me? I have some things I want to talk to you about."

"Sure." I stand and follow her out of the room. She leads me out to the garden.

"It's been a while, hasn't it?"

"Yeah..."

She walks over to the swings and sits down on one. She gently pushes herself a little with her feet. "I haven't swung on these since then... So much has been going on..."

"You were gone for thirteen years, right? What did you do during that time?"

"Did you know that there's a maze under the castle? It was built when the war first started as a means to protect the civilians... but most people have forgotten about it. I found the entrance once before, so I went down there for a while. From there, I could easily steal food and stuff. I got pretty good at it... Stealing food and other things I wanted."

"No one knew...?"

"Well, one person knew... When I first started stealing, I wasn't very good at it. One of the servants caught me... Alba. She was so relieved to see that I was alive... After she learned what was going on, she agreed to keep my secret. She used to bring me food and books... and she made sure I got an education during that time. She used to bring me textbooks, and she'd get mad if I hadn't read them." Merilynn chuckles. "Alba was everything to me... I was always so happy when she praised me, so I tried my best."

"What happened to her?"

"Eventually, she grew sick and died. I visited her a lot, when no one was around... but she still died. After that... I was on my own. By then, I was in my late teens, so no one recognized me. I could finally walk around the city without worry. But I still tried not to converse too much, for fear that someone would put the pieces together.

"I could never forgive my father for what he had done. I still can't. That's why, when I had a pack of wolves and felt I was ready, I attacked the castle. Having tried to stay away from humans, I missed the news that he'd married a woman... When I saw them together, I grew so angry... It was like he was trying to replace me and Mother. I killed them both... with my own hands.

"After killing them, I continued through the castle, making sure it was known that I was the queen now. And that's when I found him... Marcus. He was hiding in a corner, scared of the wolves. When I found him, I was covered in blood, which only frightened him more... I didn't know why such a child was at the castle. So I asked him who he was. Prince Marcus Randall... son of the new queen and my father. My replacement, and an even more worthy heir than me. I had every intention of killing him..."

"So why didn't you?"

"...When I told him my name, his eyes lit up. He was so excited to meet me... He said that he'd always wanted a sister—no, not just any sister... me. He wanted me... He was too cute, and I already knew what I had done to him. For the first time, I felt horrible for what I'd done... but it was too late to be undone.

"So I swore to myself that no matter what, I would do everything I could to bring back his smile. And I've grown to really love him... But he's grown to resent me since seeing the bodies of his parents... I can't say I blame him..."

Merilynn...

"Maybe he would be happier if he wasn't living with me... But when he runs off like that, I get so scared... He's the only one I have left; he's the only one I love..."

_"You may be able to meet... the one thing she truly cared for..."_

Now I understand... That was Marcus...

"...Just keep trying. You really care for him... surely he'll come to understand that one day. He's just a kid right now."

"Yeah... you're right." She stands. "Wow, I talked a lot more than I was planning... I've never been able to tell anyone all of that before."

"Heh, sometimes it's good to have someone to talk to."

"Definitely." She smiles. "Well, I think I'm going to go to bed now."

"That sounds like a good idea. We have work to do in the morning."

"Right!" She starts heading off. At the door, she turns back to me. "Oh, and Chester? Don't let being a wolf bother you so much... It's not so bad once you get used to it, and the increased senses are nice. Besides... You have some good friends who will like you no matter what you are." She heads inside.

She's right... Funny that the one who did this to me should comfort me about it later. And earlier for her. I head inside myself and walk towards the guest rooms. I enter the one Cless is staying in and grab the other bed.

I feel like there's still something I'm missing... This Merilynn's a lot more open...

Marcus will be okay... right?

_I hiked through the forest. I was angry... My parents had doted over my sister again. She was six years younger than me, so I knew what it was like before she was born... I knew what it was like to not have a baby sister that is cute half the time and completely annoying the other half. And since I was always hanging out with Cless, I felt kinda distant from her at the time... She was always there, but I didn't know how to treat her. If I made her cry, my parents would come running to comfort her. It was so frustrating back then..._

_That noise... It feels like this is the past... but is it? It all seems so real... This forest, these noises, everything..._

_There—demons...! I... can't move... They're going to kill me...! I finally find the strength to run—they chase after. They quickly surround me... There's no escape..._

_"Chester...!" My parents come and start fighting the demons. They're merchants—they have some fighting skills to defend themselves when traveling. They'll be fine..._

_Blood spills over the grass, over the trees..._

"Chester... Chester, wake up."

I jump—it's just Cless... "What happened...?"

"You looked like you were having a nightmare."

A nightmare... Yeah, I guess it was... I sit up. "I'm awake."

"That was surprisingly fast..." Cless sounds surprised. "...Was it about your parents?"

"Ah..."

"It was... Marcus and Merilynn remind you some of that, don't they...?"

"Yeah, I guess they do..." I stand. "...Now I feel tired..." I sit back down.

"You were doing so good, too..." The swordsman sighs.

The door suddenly bursts open—it's Merilynn. "Chester...! That's it!"

"Huh...? What's it...?"

"I know where the sword is! Come on!" She runs over and grabs my arm—she starts dragging me along behind her. Arche and Milard are already here...

"Cless, get the others and then follow us—there's a painting of my mom in the lounge; go through that!" As the swordsman hurries off, the girls and I hurry to the lounge.

"Shouldn't we wait for them...?" Milard asks.

"Don't worry, we'll be fine before we cross that water!" She moves the painting out of the way with my help, and we head down.

We're in a dark cavern now... Milard pulls out the lamp as the queen leads us through the tunnel. It goes only one way... We follow it around, soon reaching a spot with some water. We reach a fork in the road, where the queen pauses. "Which way was it... Oh right, this way!" We go straight and around the wall. We then hurry down the stairs. We go around a pit in one large circle before reaching yet another set of stairs. Just how far down does this place go...?

Now this is a maze... We can go one of four ways, and it's hard to tell which way to go in this darkness... Merilynn leads the way through like it's nothing. It looks like the same thing over and over again... but I guess after living here so long, it's like a second home to her. Well, we head down even more stairs... She leads us through some doors, and we eventually reach some dark water. I hear noises past here...

"There are demons or something past here, so I've never gone any further... But maybe what this tunnel was really made for was to protect that sword from the other countries. If that's so..."

"Then it's at the end, right?"

"I can fly us over!"

"That won't be necessary." Merilynn closes her eyes and concentrates. A magic circle appears under her. This is a lot of ice magic...

"Ice Storm...!" It blows over the water, freezing it completely. She's breathing heavily now, though... Wiping her brow, she laughs. "All right, let's get that sword! Then I'm going to show that arrogant bastard who's boss!"

It doesn't seem to take as much from her as it did Tim and Sauound... Is that because she's a werewolf...?

We slowly walk over the ice. Arche flies next to us, helping the other two girls when they slip. We manage to make it without falling. We race down the hall. Where are the demons...?

Up there...! "Move!" We jump out of the way—a machine crashes down where we just where.

"Is this... magitech?"

"Watch out!" It shoots a laser beam at us—we move out of the way. Keh... I notch an arrow on my bow and take aim. What the—it shot at all of us—ow...!

"I'll distract it!" Merilynn charges in with her dagger and quickly attacks it. I take aim. "Wild Rain!" The thing's big enough that a few arrows lodge into it.

"Heal...!"

"Giga Fang!"

"Ray!"

Ow...! The thing got us all again...! Keh... That's it...!

I jump up into the air, aiming down at it, four arrows notched. They glow dark—the thing doesn't seem to notice me. "Moonlight!" I shoot at it—the arrows hit its 'eye', shattering it.

"Indignation...!"

"Banishing Sorrow...!" Milard throws runes at it—they blast the thing open, creating an explosion—ow...!

Ugh... "Everyone okay?"

"Yeah..."

"Hold on, I'll heal everyone..." Milard starts concentrating.

What the—Merilynn's running off...! I follow her.

"Chester-kun! Merilynn!"

There it is... the Vorpal Sword. It's stuck in the ground at the end. Merilynn gently grabs the hilt and pulls up; it easily comes out of the ground. As she holds it in her hands, a sheathe appears around it. "This is it... This is it...!" She hugs it, happy. "Now I can win, no matter what!"

"Yeah. Come on, let's have lunch; then we can check on that play you were talking about."

"Right!" We walk back to the others. Looks like everyone else is finally catching up... Mint gives us a group heal, and then we head back up to the castle. It seems a lot longer going up... but I guess that's because we're walking now.

So now Sauound and Merilynn each have half of the Eternal Sword... The Flamberge and the Vorpal Sword... Soon they'll meet up...

"Maybe we should have sandwiches for lunch," Mint suggests.

"That sounds good to me! Let's go to the kitchen!" The queen happily leads the way. Inside, the girls have fun putting together sandwiches. Except Arche... I take it upon myself to keep her away from the food.

"I won't do anything that bad!" she complains as she tries to pull her arm out of my grasp.

"Yeah right. If there was a way to mess up cereal, I'm sure you'd find it."

"I would not!"

"The sandwiches are done!" the cleric announces. She passes them out—good, mine has chicken on it with no vegetables. We eat up.

...After this, we have to get ready for that play...

"Chester? Is something wrong?" the queen asks.

"N-no, nothing." We're not going to kiss... We already agreed on that... I just need to calm down...

"We should head over to the theater, then," Dad says.

"Eh? It's still a while before the play starts."

"Yes, but..."

"We happen to be the actors," I tell her.

"Eh...?!"

"I hope you and Marcus enjoy the show!" Ami says.

"Ah... We will!" She says with a smile. "Good luck!"

"Thanks!" We walk towards the playhouse. Milard passes out our scripts, and we all review them one more time. I think I've got this...

...This is going to be horrible. How could anyone write a play like this? Keh...

**Milard received the title of Scary Mother. She'll make sure you get what you need, even if she has to beat it into you!**

**Chester received the title of Sympathetic Listener. If you need to talk things out, I don't mind lending an ear.**

**Chester learned Moonlight.**

**Milard learned Banishing Sorrow.**

**Obtained the Vorpal Sword.**


	82. Cheesy Hero

**Heehee... Enjoy the play!**

**Also, considering that Cless and Lelouch share the same voice actor... Well, **_**I**_** can see him with a good evil laugh.**

**And neither I nor Klarth were heavily influenced by any other media of any sort. Honest. (yeah right).**

**Disclaimer: Same as always.**

**--Cheesy Hero--**

We enter the theater, where the workers are waiting for us. One of them waves us over. "You're here! Great—here are your costumes. Get changed!" He passes them out.

Mine's a nice, white shirt with some embroidery on it. The pants are a tan color, and they seem to be quite loose. Mint's outfit is a fake suit of armor... Will she even be able to move in that?

...Wait, does Dhaos' outfit have fairy wings? He rips them off.

"Ah, don't do that...! You're supposed to be a magical creature with wings! You know, to show that you're different!"

"Wings I can handle. Wings like that I cannot."

"But we don't have time to make any more..."

Dhaos doesn't say a word, but instead enters a changing room. Well, at least my outfit doesn't have anything like that. I enter a changing room as well. I get changed and come back out. I guess I'm meant to look like a peasant, but... It's a little too upper-class for that. Oh well, I'm not going to complain after seeing the wings.

Ami comes out in hers. She has a nice little dress. It's black, but... it actually looks kinda cute on her. Especially with those tiny devil wings on the back. "Onii-chan! How do I look?"

"...Too cute to be evil. Take your hair down."

"Ah..." She reaches up and takes out her hair ties. Her hair falls around her face. "Like this?"

"Much better."

Suzu comes out. She has a small pirate outfit, complete with a huge pirate hat. She has her hair down in a low ponytail.

"All right, and there's our ninja-pirate. That looks surprisingly good on you!"

Dad comes out next. He's in a bunch of robes... He must be sweating in that outfit.

"Wow, you actually don't have your hat on! It's a miracle!"

"I don't wear it when I sleep..."

"Uh-huh."

Cless comes out in a nice, silk black outfit. Complete with a crown. "Your highness," I tease with a fake bow. I guess he will be when he and Mint get together, her being the adopted princess and all...

"You're having fun with this, aren't you?"

"I have to make light of it somewhere, or I'm going to feel nothing but embarrassment after this play."

Milard comes out next—"They had you change?" She's wearing a jester outfit. I guess that kinda fits for a storyteller...

"Yes... I can't say I like this outfit, though..."

Another door opens—Arche this time. She's wearing a really cute dress with lots of stars on it. And with her hair down like that, she looks really...

"What do you think?"

"That's adorable, Arche-chan," Milard compliments her.

"Wow, that's a really nice outfit!" my sister speaks up.

"Chester? What are you staring at?"

"A-ah... Nothing." I quickly turn away. What was I thinking...? This is Arche...

Dhaos comes out. His outfit's white, and seems to glow some... It's also robes, but a more loose style... He has his angel wings out as well.

"So, now we're just waiting on Mint..."

"Mint~! Is everything okay in there~?" Arche asks.

"I-I'm fine... I just can't open the door..."

"Oh, I'll get that for you..." Arche opens the door and poor Mint stumbles out. Cless hurries over to help her.

"Maybe you should practice walking some before your act..." I suggest.

"We can practice the sword fight back stage... That'll help you get used to this."

"A-all right. Thank you..."

"Are you guys ready?" the stage worker asks. "People are coming in... The show's just about ready to start!"

"I guess I should get out there, then," Milard says. "Good luck, everyone."

"Thanks. Good luck!"

The woman walks out, while Cless continues helping Mint. This is going to be a disaster... I just know it...

"I should get going, too!" Arche heads out onto the stage. I walk over to the edge of it and watch as she lays down. I'll be coming out shortly, so...

Everyone quiets down outside. Well, looks like this is it...

"Once upon a time, it was believed that a star could grant youth and immortality," Milard speaks up over the silence. For this very reason, stars that fell to Aselia were sought by many. This is the tale of one such star. The lovely young star fell out of the sky and landed near a small village..."

Light shines on the stage as the curtains open. I walk over to Arche. "A... woman? Hey, miss..." I kneel down next to her and give her a nudge.

Arche sits up. "Hm...? What happened...?"

"I thought I saw a star fall over here, but..."

"Eh?! I fell out of the sky?!" And she seems to be getting into the acting...

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm the star! This is bad... I have to get home..."

"You're the star?"

"Of course! ...Oh no! You don't want immortality, do you?!" Yep, Arche's perfect for this ditzy part.

"I'm not interested in anything like that..." I stand. "Come on, it's getting late; you can stay at my place for the night."

"But I'm a star, you idiot. Night's when we come out."

Keh... "Either way, it's cold. And besides, I can't just leave a girl like this." I offer her a hand.

"Ah... Thank you." She takes my hand, and I pull her up as the curtains close. We hurry off stage.

"However, the young hero wasn't the only one to see the star fall..." I hear Milard say as Cless hurries out onto the stage. "At the castle, the young prince was already making plans."

The curtains open, and Mint stumbles out. She manages to regain herself enough to kneel in front of Cless. "You called for me, my Lord?"

"Yes. It seems that a star has fallen... With this, we will have the means to immortality," the swordsman says.

"A star's power can heal any disease and any wound, correct?"

"Precisely. Now, go prepare my carriage at once! We will ride out by the time the moon is at its peak!"

"Yes, my Lord." Mint pushes herself up and walks offstage. She seems to be getting better...

Meanwhile, Cless says his small monologue. "What a foolish little knight you are... With the heart of the star, the secret to immortality will be all mine! Oh, how I've longed for this day... This kingdom—nay, this whole world—shall be mine forever!" Whoa... He does a _surprisingly_ good evil laugh... Are we sure that's Cless?

The curtains close and Cless walks over. "Hm? Chester? Is something wrong?"

"That laugh just now..."

"Ah, was it bad?"

"No... It's just... You're Cless, right?"

"Was it that good?"

"Oh yeah."

"The evil prince and his innocent knight were not the only ones to set out after the star," Milard says. "In fact, another villain approached the unsuspecting hero and star... After the star explained her situation to the young hero, he told her that they would ask around for a way to warp her back up to the sky in the morning..."

Arche's already pacing as the curtains open. "I can't just keep waiting like this... If other people saw my descent, then they will be after my heart...! But then again, humans sleep at night, right...? I suppose there really is nothing I can do..."

Dhaos walks over to where I am. "You must run," he speaks up loud enough for the audience to hear.

"Who's there?!"

The angel walks out onto the stage. "You are not safe here. One who is after your heart is on their way now."

"What?! But how do you..."

"Run, little star..." He turns and walks off stage.

"I must go. I'm sorry, brave hero... and thank you for your help." She starts hurrying this way—Dad's turn. He steps out right in front of her. "Ah...!" Arche backs away.

"Leaving so soon?" Dad speaks up.

"Wh-who are you?!"

"Your worst nightmare. Now come with me so I can have your heart!"

"N-no! I'll never go with you!"

"We'll see about that... Take this!" He aims his wand at Arche, and a light effect of some sort comes out of it. That... was pretty sad.

"Ah...!" Arche fake-stumbles back.

Dad walks towards her. "And with this, I'll be young again..."

My turn. I unsheathe my fake sword and rush out, slashing at my father. "Not if I have anything to say about it!" He jumps back. "Leave the star alone."

"That's not happening. She will soon be all mine... Take that!" And he uses another special effect at me.

Well, I'm in this now, so... I fake-stumble back this time.

"Come, this way. I'll help you escape." Dhaos speaks up from his spot offstage.

"Looks like we don't have much of an option." I grab Arche's hand and we run offstage.

"Come back!" Dad yells as the curtains close.

"Due to the help from the mysterious winged being, the two escaped through a warp portal, leaving the witch far behind," Milard announces as Arche and I walk back on stage. "Unfortunately, it wasn't a strong enough warp to take the star home. Instead, they found themselves on a ship."

The curtains open. "Where are we...?" Arche speaks up.

"We seem to be on a ship."

"A ship...?"

"Yeah. Hopefully we're far away from that witch."

"Who's there?" Suzu's turn. The ninja-pirate walks on stage as Arche hides behind me.

I hold up the sword. "Give me your name, and I shall give you mine!"

"Don't you have any common sense? You're on _my_ ship."

"Where is this ship going? We need safe passage away from Flanoir."

"So you stow away on a ship, wave a sword in the owner's face, and then demand free passage?" You should sound a little more enthusiastic, Suzu...

I lower my sword. "My apologies. We're a little on-edge... A witch just tried to kill my friend here."

"...And give me one good reason why I shouldn't make you walk the plank."

"I don't have any money... but if you give us safe passage, I'll help out around the ship until we get there."

"...Well, I'm a little low on hands, so that's fine. I'm escorting someone else... You'll be in charge of attending to her. I'll be right back." Suzu walks offstage.

"...Thank you..." Arche speaks up.

I turn to her. "For what?"

"Helping me out... You almost got killed and had to run away from your own home..."

Do I have to say this...? I guess I do... "It's fine. I want to help you. Just stick with me... I'll protect you. I promise."

"Thank you..."

Suzu walks back in with Ami following her. "This is the person you'll be attending to."

"Hello..." My kid sister speaks up.

"Hello. Is there anything you need us to do for you?"

"...You may leave," she says to Suzu; the ninja-pirate does just that. Ami then turns to us and points at Arche. "You will give me your heart."

"You..." I draw my sword. "Are you a witch, too?!"

"A witch? Don't put me on the same level as those lowlifes!" Ami turns to me. She seems to be having fun with this. "Now then... Cut out her heart!"

I turn to Arche, my sword pointing towards her now. "What...? I can't control my body... Watch out!" I swing at her.

"Ah...!" She fake-stumbles back again.

"Run!" I go to stab at her, but stop right before hitting her. And now for the cheesiest part of all...

"I said... kill her!" my sister speaks up.

"I can't. I promised that I would protect her."

"You will do as I tell you!"

"No... I won't!" I turn towards Ami and slash at her instead.

"Ah...!" She falls to her knees, then lays down. ...That was so unconvincing. "But that's... impossible..."

"You saved me! Thank you!" Arche says. Phew, she didn't even hug me...

"I told you I would protect you."

The curtains close again. I help my sister up and she hurries off stage as Milard speaks. "With the enchantress' spell on the ship lifted, they safely sailed to the next port. Little did they know that trouble awaited them there..." I sheathe my sword as Suzu walks back out. The curtains open.

"Thank you for everything, Captain," I say.

"Don't thank me. It makes me look like I did something nice, and that's not very good for my reputation as a pirate."

"Right, then I'll be seeing you."

Mint comes back on stage, but she says nothing yet.

"...You need to get the star back up in the sky, right? There's a shop around here that sells rare goods. I often go there for deals. You might want to see if they know anything," Suzu speaks up.

"Right, tha—I mean, arg." That sounds so stupid...

Suzu turns and leaves without even saying the 'arg' that I know was in her script. Heh...

The armored cleric walks over to us now. "Excuse me... Did I hear something about a star?"

"Ah... Nope, not here."

"Are you sure...?"

"Positive. Come on..." I grab Arche's hand and start walking towards the exit.

"...Your Highness, these two know about the star," Mint says loudly.

Cless walks in. "Is that so...?"

I give him a small grin. "Your Highness." I bow.

"Highness...? Is he royalty...?" Arche asks.

"Tell me... Where is this star?" Cless says.

I straighten up. "I'm afraid that's something I cannot do."

"Your prince is ordering you to tell him."

"I apologize for my rudeness, but I have promised to safely return the star to the sky."

"Is that so...? ...Arrest them."

"Yes, My Lord." As Mint walks over to us, the curtains close. The other three hurry offstage.

"And so the hero and the star were captured by the prince. Although they tried to keep the girl's identity a secret, the young prince already knew. He locked them away as he made preparations. When he was ready, he escorted the girl up to his chambers, leaving the hero alone in the jail..."

"I have to find a way out of this jail cell... She's going to be killed..." I say loud enough for the audience to hear.

The cleric walks in. "Killed...? What do you mean? The prince just wants her to use her powers to save people..."

"Even if he wants to save people, the only way anyone can use her 'powers' is to cut out her heart."

"What...?!"

"A witch and an enchantress have already tried."

"There's no way the prince could know about this... Come with me. We will make sure everything's set straight."

"Thanks." We start running off.

"Wait..." Dhaos walks back on stage, and we stop. "I have something for you."

"That voice... You're the one who helped us back at my house."

"Correct. And now I shall bestow on you magic you will soon need... The witch is on her way." The lights flash.

"I feel more powerful..."

"Hurry and save the star..."

"Right!" Now Mint and I hurry off.

"You are her only hope..." Dhaos says before the curtains close again. Cless and Arche quickly switch with Dhaos, and the girl lays down on the stage again.

"And so, with new powers, the hero and the knight hurried upstairs to save the star."

The curtains open to show Cless standing over the half elf, his fake sword positioned over her heart. "And now... Your heart is mine...!"

I run in. "Stop...!"

"You...!"

Mint runs in behind me. "My Lord... What is going on here?"

"Simple: I am gaining immortality. I will be king forever!" He does another evil laugh. That's getting kinda scary now...

"Chester-san..." Mint whispers.

Ah... right. "I'm not going to let you hurt her!" I charge at Cless—he blocks.

"You can't save her. With one simple call, the rest of my knights will be in here and will arrest you both at my command."

"I won't let you!" I press a button on my sword, and a beam of light shines from it.

"Ah...!" Cless' turn to fake-stumble.

Mint rushes in, and the two clash swords. I hurry over to Arche as they have their sword fight. Mint stumbles some, but Cless tries to make it look like she's winning. It ends with Mint 'victorious'.

"You... would kill... your prince...?" Cless asks, acting wounded.

"...If that prince is unjust, then yes," Mint says. Cless dramatically falls to his knees—the girl catches him.

"Then you have doomed this country... I have already poisoned my father..."

"It is not doomed. I will lead it... As the king's only daughter, it is my duty."

"You... are my sister...?"

"Yes... I am sorry, dear brother... I wish it had never come to this..."

"...As do I..." And Cless closes his eyes.

"...I'm sorry... brother..."

My turn now. I help Arche up. "We have to get you out of here..."

Dad walks in. "Leaving so soon?" Didn't he say that earlier...?

"You again...!"

"This time, I will kill you both..." He aims his wand.

"You're the one who's going to die!" I point my sword at him. We both shoot beams of light and fake-stumble back.

"Do you really think that's enough to beat me, the greatest witch in the world?" Dad shoots another light-beam at me. "And now... you die!" And another... but this time, Arche jumps in the way.

"No...! Ah...!"

I catch her.

"Are you... all right...?" she says to me.

"I'm supposed to protect you, not the other way around..."

"It's okay... You've protected me enough..."

"I promised I would protect you... that I'd help you get home... I'm not backing out of that promise."

"You won't... I don't want to go home anymore..."

"Then what do you want? I'll grant it... Anything you wish..."

Arche turns to me. This is it... "Tell me... What do stars do best?"

"They..."

"Shine..." She leans in and stops right before kissing me. She gently puts her hands on my chest. "How's this...?" she whispers.

"Fine..." The lights shining on us increase. Things feel really hot all of the sudden...

"Nooooo!" Dad stumbles forward and falls towards us—pushing Arche—

...Right into me...

Arche pulls away, her face red. "A-ah... S-sorry..."

"T-that wasn't... your fault..." Speaking of... The curtains are closed, so I turn to Dad. "What the hell...?! You weren't supposed to fall towards us!"

"Don't you two do that to Cless and Mint all the time?"

"That's..."

"He has a point," Cless says as he stands.

"Y-yeah, but only to hug! Not to..."

"Kiss?"

"I-I'm going to go get changed!" I quickly walk back to the changing rooms and change back into my normal outfit. Dammit, I can't believe that actually happened...

But... it wasn't as bad as I thought it'd be...

S-still, I don't really wanna see Arche right now... If I hurry out fast enough, I can slip back to the castle... Right, I'll do that...

I hurry out and towards the castle. Somehow, I still feel hot... It's gotten pretty late, though...

"Chester!" Merilynn notices me outside and runs over. "Great job! The ending was really cute!"

"Let's not talk about that..."

"It was just an act, right?"

"O-of course! I wouldn't really... I mean, we wouldn't..."

"Marcus slipped out before the final scene, though... What a shame... Let's go make sure he's okay!"

"Y-yeah, that sounds good..."

We hurry into the castle. I think I'm calming down some now...

Things are really quiet around here. It actually feels kinda... uneasy... And something doesn't smell so good... Actually, it smells like...

...Blood...?

**Chester received the title of Cheesy Hero. Couldn't they have made this play less stupid? A costume title given to the hero in a play.**

**Arche received the title of Ditzy Star. She's a celestial being with a few screws loose... A costume title given to the star in a play.**

**Cless received the title of Surprisingly Evil. That laugh is enough to stall anyone. A costume title given to the evil prince in a play.**

**Mint received the title of Clumsy Knight. It's hard to move in such heavy armor... A costume title given to the knight in a play.**

**Dhaos received the title of Offstage Mystery. He may spend quite a time offstage, but he really helps the heroes. A costume title given to the magical helper in a play.**

**Klarth received the title of Special Effect Master. Watch out; he's pretty good at shooting those beams of light. A costume title given to the evil witch in a play.**

**Suzu received the title of Ninja Pirate. A ninja who's playing a pirate still comes across as a ninja. A costume title given to the pirate in a play.**

**Ami received the title of Excited Little Devil. I'm going to do my very best in the play! A costume title given to the evil enchantress in a play.**

**Milard received the title of Helpful Narrator. If it wasn't for her, we wouldn't know what was going on between scenes. A costume title given to the narrator of a play.**


	83. Future of Happiness

**...It seems like someone besides David was supposed to get a title for a Devil's Arm here... but it's not in my notes, and I don't remember who... Whoops. If I figure it out, I'll give that person a title later. Sorry!**

**And sorry for not much happening in this chapter. It's a little bit of a clean-up chapter after the first part. (Because Aya is forgetful and so did not forget about two Devil's Arms that should've been found a long time ago. ...It's four in the morning, so please excuse my rambling and grammar in this author's note.)**

**Well, I hope you enjoy it anyway! Next chapter should have some good action. I hope.**

**--Future of Happiness--**

Yeah, that scent is definitely blood...

"Chester, do you smell that...?"

"Yeah. It's coming from this direction!" We hurry down the hallway. What happened...?!

We soon reach a closed door. "Marcus...?! Marcus, what's going on in there...?!" Merilynn tries opening it; it's locked.

"This is... Marcus' room?"

"Y-yeah... Hold on, I'll have us in in just a sec..." She picks the lock. "There...!" She throws the door open and hurries in. The scent's a lot stronger now...

She gasps and covers her mouth with her hands, her eyes wide. "No... He can't..."

I walk in. Marcus is lying on the bed, a dagger in his chest. But if he was locked in here, then...

He... killed himself...?!

"M-Marcus... Come on..." Merilynn walks over to him and nudges him. "You have to get up... It's not time to sleep yet... Marcus...!"

I walk over and check his pulse. There's nothing... "Merilynn..."

"No... He can't be..." She sinks to her knees. "H-he's just a kid... a thirteen year old kid...!" She lowers her head, trembling. Is she... crying...? "It's... my fault... He's scared of me... He always asks when I'm going to kill him... A-and why I kept him alive... I-if I'd just let him leave... he could've... found a new life... H-he could've... been happy..."

"Merilynn... Calm down..." I kneel down next to her. She's definitely crying...

"It should've been me that died, not him...!"

...I sit down next to her and pull her into a hug. She continues crying... "He didn't deserve this... He didn't deserve any of this... To be so frightened, to lose everything he cared for... That was all my fault... So why did he... Why..."

"...I don't know..." I'm not really helping...

_"You may be able to meet... the one thing she truly cared for..."_

Her younger brother... her father... Alba... She's lost all of them... No wonder...

"T-this is all... just a nightmare... right...? He'll be there tomorrow... right...?"

I don't know how to answer that... I want to lie, but... she knows the truth...

"He still has... so much to see... There's so much he's never done... I'm the one who's done everything... right or wrong..."

"Merilynn... He can't... come back... not for a long while..." I don't know if this will help, but... I have to try... "But maybe one day... he can be reborn... So, you have to make sure it's a world he'll feel safe in..."

"A world... for Marcus... I want that... If he comes back, I promise I'll make him smile... I'll do anything to make him smile... A thousand times... I want him to smile... I want him to be happy... Happier than anyone..." She cries harder. "He didn't deserve to be so scared..."

"...Maybe he's with his parents now..."

"With... his parents...?"

"Yeah..."

"...Maybe... Maybe he's happy there... with his family..."

"You're part of his family, too..."

She shakes her head. "He'll be happier without me... Maybe... maybe he's smiling now..."

"...Maybe..."

After a moment, she wipes her face off and stands. "Thank you... Chester..."

I stand as well. "Where are you going?"

"To find Sauound..."

"He'll kill you..."

"I don't care what happens to me anymore... As long as the future of this world's safe... For Marcus, for my people... for everyone I've wronged... and I know Sauound can take care of it..."

"Merilynn..."

She walks to the door. There, she turns to me. "Chester, promise me one thing..."

"What is it?"

"Promise me... that you'll find your happiness."

"...Yeah, I promise. You find yours, too."

"I will." With a sad smile, she hurries out.

"Hey, Merilynn...!" I run over to the door. She's already gone...

Now what... I guess I should tell someone about Marcus... but who...?

_"His body will be cared for,"_ Heimdall's voice tells me. _"Get the others and go to a small island south of Friezkiel. Skuld will be waiting for you there..."_

Keh... Fine. I hurry back towards the entrance—perfect, looks like they're coming in.

"Ah, there you are!"

"We're leaving."

"Eh?"

"Heimdall called."

"But what about Merilynn's fight with Sauound...?" Milard asks.

"She's already left to find him."

"Eh? What happened?" questions the witch.

"...Marcus killed himself."

"Eh?!"

"But... why...?"

I walk over to my sister and pat her head. "I wish I knew..."

"Isn't there anything we can do...?"

"If he doesn't want to live, then I'm afraid even my healing artes..." Mint speaks up.

No one says anything. This is a mess...

"...The last valkyrie sister's waiting for us," I finally explain. "Skuld."

"R-right... We have to meet her..." Cless says.

"...Let's go." I walk past them and lead the way out into the snow. It's picking up some... We hurry out of the city and board the Rheairds. We then fly south, looking for Skuld.

Lone girl on an island. That must be her... We land next to her.

"Greetings," the young woman says. "I've been expecting you..."

"You must be Skuld. What is it this time? A fight or a question?" I'm not in the mood for games.

She shakes her head. "Neither. Instead, I will show you what could happen should you fail..."

What the...? The ocean around us disappears. We're... in the Forest of Spirits...?

The gods are here, too... They're using the Eternal Sword to finish what they started. Derris-Kharlan's mana is being absorbed into Yggdrasil...

The process stops, and Fenrir breathes easily. "There..." She walks over to Yggdrasil and puts her hands on his trunk. "You can rest easy now... We'll continue protecting you..."

_"It'll happen again... It'll always happen again..."_

Huh...? That voice...

The tree starts shining. It's draining the mana of the gods...?!

"Yggdrasil, what are you..."

_"Lend me your strength... my guardians..."_

The gods disappear and mana shoots from Yggdrasil. It covers the whole sky, then rains down on everything, leaving darkness in its wake. What the hell _is_ this...?!

The scenery changes—we're in Alvanista. The mana is... killing everyone...! It's targeting all humans—stabbing through them like spears...! This is...

The darkness fades away, and there's snow falling on me once again.

"So then the real enemy... is the great tree itself..." Dad says.

"What are we supposed to do against that...?! If we let him die, then..."

"...I'm not sure. But I think we'll have more time if we defeat the gods first. After that, we can deal with Yggdrasil."

"We _could_ try talking to them," Milard suggests.

Skuld shakes her head. "Heimdall's already tried. They've searched for other ways to deal with this problem... but they've found none. Fenrir thinks she can calm Yggdrasil..."

"Of _course_ she does. Keh..." I can't say I really blame him, after seeing the past... Humans have done nothing but hurt Yggdrasil. Still...

"Do you think you can truly handle this challenge?"

"Of course we can. We haven't given up yet, and we're not about to now!" I tell the valkyrie.

"I know there's something we can do. We're not going to let the people of this world or Derris-Kharlan die," Milard says.

"That's right! As long as we're still here, we'll fight for everyone!" the half-elf adds.

Skuld smiles. "Good. You have strong determination... I shall now grant you more powers..."

Yeah, I can feel them... They feel... warm... This light is...

"All right, I think I have an idea for a new spell!" the witch cheers.

"Oh no. You are _not_ allowed to make up spells."

The valkyrie giggles. "She's not making it up. It's in the powers I gave her."

"Oh. Well that's better, then."

"Ugh, you're such a jerk all the time!" she yells, glaring at me. I glare back.

...Arche...

Ah... I look away. Dammit, we've been so busy since then that I almost forgot...

"So, where should we go next?" Cless asks.

"I leave that decision to you..." Skuld floats up into the sky and disappears.

This silence is a little uneasy... After a moment, Suzu speaks up, "We still have three more Devil's Arms to find. We should ask Hyouko about them."

"Y-yeah. Sounds good." Anything to keep moving...

We get back on the Rheairds and fly to Mizuho. Okay, I need to let this stop bothering me... It was just a kiss with a girl that means nothing to me... It means nothing...

We soon arrive at the village. We land and hop off the Rheairds; the ninja are all looking at us.

"We're here to see Hyouko," our little ninja speaks up.

"What do you need?" the woman's voice asks; she steps out of the shadows.

"We're still looking for Devil's Arms, like the Destroyer. You have one here, don't you..."

"Yeah. We decided to check them out some after that incident. We found one in a forest north of here, and one where a city called Sybak used to be, before it got destroyed. I have them just inside. You can take 'em if you want."

"Thank you."

"Then there's just one more left," I point out.

"You might try Treantwood. I've heard some rumors about a dark sword being there. I've already let the elves know about you guys, so you should be able to enter no problem."

"Thanks."

While Suzu and Milard go to get the weapons, the swordsman asks Hyouko about Curtis.

"Well, we had him for a little while... Now he's working with Kalinthra and Sauound. They said something about how they're going to save Yggdrasil... so I only hope it works out for the best. Either way, it's kinda dangerous for us to live here now... the people of Thor don't really like us. We've been invited to move to Treantwood ourselves..."

"...So we're just clearing it out for you," I finish.

"Something like that," she says with a grin. "It works out in both our favors, doesn't it?"

"I suppose so." The girls come back out. "Mind if we rest here first, though? I'm starving, and it's getting pretty late."

"Sure thing. You know where everything is."

We thank her and head over to the house we stayed at last time. The girls go to cook something... As long as Arche doesn't help...

For once, I'm actually exhausted... After what happened to Marcus... We haven't really had any sort of break since the play started... I lay down while Dad and Cless look through some board games the ninja have.

I wonder how Merilynn's doing now...

That smell is... Ugh, I'm hungry...

Ow...! That hurts...!

...Huh...? I'm a wolf... Dad's holding on to me, his pact rings on both hands. Keh... I change back to a human. "What happened?"

Dad lets go. "You fell asleep before eating and must've gotten hungry."

"Here..." Mint walks over and hands me a plate with steak on it. "I just heated it up."

"Thanks..." Geez, how long have I been like that...? I eat quickly. I'm already starting to feel much better... "What time is it...?"

"It's nine in the morning."

"Already...?"

"Yeah. We'll head out as soon as you're ready."

Keh... I really hate this wolf thing... Looks like I really do have to watch my eating...

I finish up. "All right, let's go to Treantwood, then." I stand and lead the way out. It still burns a little...

"Sorry about the silver," Dad says. "Are you all right?"

"Fine. I... didn't hurt anyone, did I?"

"No; everyone's fine."

"Good."

I bring the Rheairds out, and we hop on. We lift up into the sky and head towards Ymir Forest.

"Which Devil's Arms did we get this time, anyway?" I call over to Suzu and Milard as we fly.

Milard holds up a staff first. "This one's called the Heart of Chaos." She then pulls a large dark book out of the bag. How did that... You know what, never mind; I'm just not going to question it anymore. "And this is the Niflheim." She then proceeds to stuff the book back in.

"We have the most insane pack ever..." I mutter to Cless, who laughs.

"She's probably used her runes on it."

"...That would explain _so_ much. ...I think. ...Can she even _do_ that?"

"I don't know. I doubt she'd tell us even if we asked..."

"You have a point there..."

We land outside of Ymir and walk over to the elf guard.

"No humans are allowed beyond this point."

"My name's Chester Barklight."

"Chester... You're the people that Hyouko told us about. Very well. You may enter then." He steps out of the way, and we walk past. Arche doesn't move.

"Arche, come on."

"Um... can I?"

"...Since Hyouko and Kalinthra have given their approval, we'll make an exception this once," the guard says.

"R-really...?! Thanks...!" She happily runs over to us.

Mint smiles. "I'm so glad you can come with us!"

"Me too! I wanna explore Ymir!"

"That's... a definite no. Let's get to Treantwood quickly," I tell the others.

"Ugh, why do you have to be such a jerk?!"

"Shut it. I just want to get this over with..." ...and get away from her...

It doesn't take us too long to find the village this time. The elves stare at us as we enter, but no one says anything. We walk straight through and head into Treantwood.

"So now we just have to find that sword..."

"Leave it to me! I'll fly up high so I can see it!" Without waiting for us to protest, she zooms up into the sky. Now I can't even see her through the trees...

"Hey, Arche!" I call up. "See anything?"

"No... These trees are too thick!"

"Keh... Of course they are... Well, come back down then!" I turn to the others. "I guess time to start walking at random."

"Hopefully we'll find it soon..."

"I'm going to check something out!" Arche calls down. "There's a clearing just ahead—meet me there!"

"Arche...!" Dammit, that idiot... I can't see her...!

"Come on, Chester. She can handle herself," Dad says, and we walk ahead to the clearing, like she said.

...Now where is she...?

"The Fafnir is reacting," Suzu speaks up. "It's close..."

"How close...?" I look around. Might as well at least check out the area while waiting on that stupid—

"Ahh...!" There's a crash through the branches—Arche falls to the ground—

"ARCHE!" I run over to her—ah...!

"Chester!" The others quickly run over. That spell wasn't Arche's...

Hession and Svana fly down through the trees. Dammit, not them again...! We take out our weapons.

"This time, we will kill you," Svana says.

"Dream on!" I notch an arrow and take aim.

"Gravity Well!" The angel uses the spell on us—ow...!

I quickly recover—"Cless!"

"Right!"

"Demonic Dragon!" I use Dragon Slayer as he uses Demon Fang. Got Svana...!

The fighters rush forward as the casters charge their spells. I notch another arrow and take aim at the enemy angel—he's charging up again. My arrow glows... This is the power that Skuld gave me... "Spectrum Arrow!"

"Frozen Hammer!" Ami stalls the valkyrie. I quickly take a shot at her while she's open.

"Tidal Wave...!" Whoa, Arche's recovered... That spell got them pretty good, too!

"Light Spear...!" Svana throws my sister back—

"Ami!" Keh...! I quickly aim at the valkyrie. "Piercing Line!"

"Aska!" Aska shows up, hitting the two enemies and encasing my arrow in light—it goes straight through her stomach.

"Svana!"

"I'm fine..."

Suzu rushes in. "Silent Reaper!"

"Ah...!" Svana falls to the ground. One down...

"Meteor Storm...!"

Ow, dammit...! That really hurts...!

"Beast Swallow Kick!" Cless recovers first and hits Hession. I notch another arrow and shoot.

"Power Seal!"

"Holy Song!" There comes our support...

Hession pulls out his sword and fights against Cless. There's an opening—"Life Stealer!" That helps some...

"Para Ball!" Ami throws some lightning balls at the guy, stunning him.

Dhaos rushes in this time. "Impact! Dhaos Laser!" He hits him hard with those two attacks—Hession falls to the ground.

Whew... Is that it...? I glance over at them. Svana's already dead... but Hession's still breathing.

"H-hold on, I'll heal you..." Mint says.

"Don't," the man speaks up. "I am your enemy... Having you show mercy on me is an insult..."

"But you'll die..."

"I've been ready for death for a long time... More importantly..." he turns his head to look at Dhaos. "...I suppose I have no choice but to leave Derris-Kharlan... in your hands... All I ask... is that you secure a good future for the people..."

"...I will."

"...Good.. Then my wife and son... can live in happiness..." He closes his eyes. "Take care... Vanessa... Ri..."

His wife and son, huh... So he was fighting for his family... I kinda feel bad for the guy...

"Hey, look!" Arche suddenly calls out. We all turn to her. That sword...! "Is this it?"

We all run over to a sword that's stuck in a withering tree. "Yes. This is the Soul Eater," Suzu speaks up.

"Looks like it's living up to its name..." I mutter.

"Hold on, I'll get it out..." Cless grabs the hilt and pulls. It easily comes out, and the tree turns into a sheathe. Well that's convenient...

Milard takes the last Devil's Arm and stores it in the pack. "Well, now we have them all... Even if we can't use them or destroy them, we can at least make sure others don't."

"Yeah, like that knight..."

"Well, now that we're done in this time, we should pay Ifalde a visit. He was making those weapons for us, after all," Dad says.

"Oh yeah. Those might help. Dwarves are supposed to be good at that stuff, right?"

"Precisely."

"All right. I'll warp us there, then." Cless pulls out the Eternal Sword. "Oh great and mighty Sword of Time, warp us to—"

That noise... Why is Sardon calling? Cless stops, and we all turn to Dad; he opens the book. "Yes, Sardon?"

"K-Klarth-san..." Wait... Sardon sounds... scared...

"Sardon...!"

"Hello, Klarth~!" a female speaks up from the book. No... That voice... "I assume Chester and the others are with you."

Fenrir...?!

**Chester received the title of Future of Happiness. We'll both work to find our happiness, no matter what!**

**Milard received the title of Protector of All. We're not going to give up either world; we'll save them both.**

**Arche received the title of Determined Fighter. As long as we're still here, we'll continue to fight on!**

**David received the title of Layered Reference Placer. It is a title given to someone who knows how to reference many other things with the placement of one item. (For the Soul Eater)**

**Chester learned Spectrum Arrow**

**Arche learned Tidal Wave**

**Milard learned Mirage Seal**

**Ami learned Frozen Hammer**


	84. Rebel Against the Heavens

**For the tropers out there, Sardon so just flipped of Cthulhu. For the non-tropers, go to tvtropes dot org and look up Did You Just Flip Off Cthulhu? ...And get stuck on tvtropes for a few hours. (Seriously, that site is addicting.)**

**And Chester's title is a reference to the trope Rage Against the Heavens. Just didn't want it to be the exact same.**

**Anyway, enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Same as always.**

**--Rebel Against the Heavens--**

Fenrir has Sardon and Cathy...! I run over so I can see her. "Let them go...!"

"I'll let them go... if you bring me the Eternal Sword."

"Everyone will die if you use it...!"

"No one will die if you give it to me. Not even your dear friend." She holds a dagger to Sardon's neck. Dammit...! "So, I suggest you bring it quickly~! We're just east of Euclid. See you soon~!" She closes the book. Keh...

_"Take me with you! I wanna see the future!"_

_"Guess what, guess what! I'm going to be a father!"_

Dammit... It's our fault they got wrapped up in this...

"What are we going to do...?" the witch speaks up. "We can't just hand them the Eternal Sword, but..."

"We can't let them hurt Sardon-san and Cathy-san..." Ami finishes, worried.

"We won't."

"They have the upper hand. If we try attacking them... It wouldn't be hard for them to kill those two," Dad points out.

Keh... I hate that he's right...

"Couldn't we warp to before they got there?" Arche asks.

"Not with Thor's powers."

"Oh, right..."

"Our first priority is saving Sardon and Cathy," the swordsman says. "Let's start the exchange. Once those two are safe, we can fight."

"But they might warp away before we _can_ fight," Milard points out.

"That's a problem..."

We think about this dilemma for a moment.

"...Klarth. How fast can you summon?" the angel suddenly speaks up.

"If I'm prepared, I might be able to summon him quickly..."

"Huh? What are you talking about?" I ask.

"If Klarth can summon Origin when Sardon and Cathy are close enough, then Origin can separate the Eternal Sword," Dhaos explains. Oh, of course. Keh, him explaining just annoys me, though...

"The only problem there is Odin. If he possesses one of us..." Cless points out.

"Then you'll ask that he makes the trade. For him to possess anyone, his body has to sleep. Therefore, he can't possess anyone without risking the sword," Dad says.

"All right."

"Then we just have to get Sardon-san and Cathy-san to safety, right?" Mint speaks up.

"Why don't we take them to our past selves?" Arche suggests. "They should be able to protect those two..."

"We still have to fight to get the sword back..."

"I could use Shadow Storm to take them there while the rest of you start fighting. It won't take me long," the ninja says.

"All right, we have a plan then!" I conclude.

"Yeah. Klarth-san..."

"Just give me a minute..." Dad concentrates, and a summoning circle appears under him. After a moment, it disappears. "Okay, I'm ready."

"Everyone else ready?"

"Yeah."

"Let's save them!"

"Yes."

"All right, I'm taking us, then." Cless holds up the Eternal Sword. "Oh great and mighty Sword of Time, take us to the year 4304, east of Euclid!" The light engulfs us.

When it disappears, we find ourselves face to face with the gods. They have Sardon and Cathy with them, tied up...

"Everyone...!" Sardon calls out.

"Sardon! Cathy!" Keh... Fenrir, Odin, and Thor are all here...

"Hello, everyone~!" Fenrir greets, a devious grin on her face.

Cless sheathes the sword and takes it off. He then holds it up for the gods to see. "We brought the Eternal Sword. Now hand over Sardon-san and Cathy-san."

"Right, right~! Thor..."

"Wait. I will only trade with Odin."

"Eh? With Odin...?"

Odin steps forward. "A wise decision." He grabs Cathy's arm and pulls her forward.

"Cathy...!"

"You can follow. Unless you want to stay with us," Fenrir tells the worried man. Sardon quickly runs over—Odin holds his hand out to stop him from reaching us.

"You two may not go any further until I release you from your bindings." He and Cless meet in the middle of our two groups.

"...You know you can still find someone, Sauound..."

Odin pauses before snatching the sword and turning away from Cless. "That is not possible for one who will live for eternity."

The ropes binding Sardon's and Cathy's hands fall off, and the two quickly run over to us. Suzu hurries over to them.

"Everyone...!"

"Sardon, Cathy! Are you all right?" Milard asks.

"We're fine, but why did you..."

"ORIGIN!" A flash of light shoots from one of Dad's pact rings. Origin appears, shooting energy at Odin. The Eternal Sword flashes and separates into two. All right...! The summon spirit disappears.

"H-hey...!" Fenrir's taken by complete surprise. Heh...

"Shadow Storm!" All right, and our little ninja got Sardon and Cathy away... Then, time to get the Eternal Sword back...! We all pull out our weapons.

"Hm... It seems we underestimated you. Reginleif, hold on to these." Odin tosses the two swords up in the air, where a valkyrie appears and catches them. Keh... Odin then turns to us and holds his hand out. There's a spark—fire bursts from his hand, creating a pole. No, a spear—the Gungnir. He then gets in fighting position.

"All right, time for some action." With a few sparks of lightning, the Mjollnir forms in his hand. Somehow, it seems even bigger than before, and it's still sparking... He easily holds it over his shoulder, relaxed.

"Hey, you two can't have cool action sequences without me...!" Fenrir throws two daggers at us—Cless knocks them away. An ice dagger then forms in her hand. The ice shatters to reveal the dagger that she had when alive... Come to think of it, I don't know if that one has a formal name... "How was that?"

"Focus for once," Odin scolds her.

"Oh stop being such a stick in the mud!"

There's a swirl of wind—Suzu appears next to us, ready to fight. "It hasn't started yet?"

"I'm ready to start whenever...!" I quickly notch an arrow and aim up at the valkyrie. Our goal is the swords... "Spectrum Arr—"

Ow, she's fast...! And she got me pretty good...

"Chester!"

The ninja rushes in. "Omega Storm!" I step back as the girls fight.

Odin rushes in—Cless quickly starts fighting him. Ami and Dhaos take care of the big guy.

I notch an arrow and aim at Thor. If he hits my sister with that huge hammer... "Glimmer Shot!" The arrows hit, but the god doesn't even seem to notice. Keh... I quickly notch another arrow.

"Sonic Fist!" The angel hits Thor with a fist attack.

And there's my opening...! "Dragon Slayer!"

"Barrier!" Odin calls out, and the stupid thing protect Thor from my arrow. It's suddenly getting really hot—Odin throws fire at us. I jump out of the way—that was a close one.

"Ah...!" Great, he got Mint and Arche...

"Mirage Seal!" Milard uses it on Thor.

"I summon thee... Come, Celsius!" She appears and quickly charges at Odin—all right, that should keep the pyro busy!

I push myself back up and aim at Thor again. "Dragon Slayer!" Ha, got him this time...! I notch another arrow and—

Ack, when did the ground suddenly turn to ice?! We're all having troubles staying up now...

Thor strikes—he hits Dhaos, making the man fly. He then throws lightning at—

"Ami...!" I run over to her—the ground's normal again. Dammit, Ami's...

"I'm fine..." She pushes herself up.

"You're not fighting Thor again!"

"It's fine, Onii-chan. I can do it..."

Thor walks over to us, his hammer over his shoulder. "Well, looks like I can get both Barklights at once." He raises his hammer up. I have to get Ami out of here—

"Impact!" Dhaos hits Thor with the blast, making him stumble back.

"Holy Song...!"

I feel a little better now... I stand and notch an arrow.

"Blizzard...!" Whoa, I can't see a thing... Ow, this hurts...!

All right, it's gone—ah...! Thor just hit me and Ami with his hammer... Dammit that hurts...!

"Lightning Tiger Blast...!"

Keh... I push myself up.

"Fenrir."

"Right!"

"Raging Mist!" Wait, they get a unison attack...?! Hot steam surrounds us—ow...!

I hear Thor hit someone, but I can't see who...

The mist clears away. "Cless...!"

Dammit, we're no match for the three of them together... The spell casters can't even get anything off quick enough... We need a distraction...

"Leave them alone...!" That voice—Sardon?! He runs in and throws a shining ball at Fenrir—she holds her arm up, and it bounces off. Wait, it left a red mark...

Mist suddenly starts seeping out of the ball. That's...!

Sardon pushes his glasses up and proudly says, "The genius Sardon H. Lester's Super Duper Special Wolfsbane Silver Bomb!" Fenrir's coughing pretty hard now... It actually worked...? I glance over at the scientist—Odin's after him...!

"Sardon...!" I notch an arrow and take aim—too slow...! Odin slashes at Sardon, who tries to dodge and ends up falling back. I shoot at Odin—he flares, knocking the arrow back and hurting Sardon. Keh...! The god raises his spear and goes to slash—

Cless blocks it. All right...! "Sardon-san, run...!"

"R-right...!" Sardon pushes himself up and runs.

"You...!" Fenrir throws ice at him—

"Efreet!" The fire spirit appears between Sardon and Fenrir and throws some fireballs at the ice—they cancel each other out.

We all need to escape—if we run behind Sardon—

A circle of fire appears around all of us, including the scientist. Dammit...!

"You will restore the Eternal Sword," Odin says.

"We will not...!"

"Oh really...?" Thor warps over next to Sardon—not again...! Why did that idiot come back...?!

"I... I'm not scared of you...!" Sardon whacks Thor with his communication book. That... didn't do a thing...

There's a flash of light—Urd, Verdandi, and Skuld appear.

"This battle has already been lost...!" Urd says.

"We'll warp you away," Skuld tells us.

"But the Eternal Sword—"

"They can't use it like this," comments the last one. "Now..."

"Come...!"

This light... Wait, Sardon's not in it...!

"Sardon...!"

"Ah, wait for me...!" He starts running.

"Thor, let's trap all of them!" Fenrir yells.

"I'll try." He unleashes his teleportation spell—what's going on...?!

"Klarth-san...! Everyone...!"

Sardon makes it in our area—but he's still in Thor's as well...!

"Sardon...!" Cless reaches out for him—

Sardon and the forest... all vanish... We're standing in a field somewhere...

"W-what happened...?! Where's Sardon?!" the witch asks.

"Klarth...!"

"I know." He pulls out the communication book, and we all gather around. Dammit, it doesn't seem to be working...!

"Sardon, are you there? Can you hear me?"

"...Klarth-san...?" That's Sardon...! His picture shows up—but where is he...?! There's darkness all around him...

"Sardon, where are you?"

"I-I don't know... But it's kinda creepy here..."

Verdandi walks over and takes a peek. "Oh dear... This isn't good..."

"What's going on? Where is he?" I ask.

"The rift between space and time..."

"What...?!"

"You can take us there, right?! We have to save him...!"

"I'm afraid it'd be impossible for us to find him..."

"You might have a chance with the Eternal Sword, but even that would be dangerous..." Skuld offers.

"But the gods have it..." my kid sister points out.

"Dammit...!"

"...It's okay..." Sardon speaks up. He has a smile on his face—a forced smile... "I'll be fine! You guys hurry up and show those gods a thing or two! And I'll catch up with you later—promise!"

"We can't just leave you there...!" Arche protests.

"The gods can't get to me here, right? So I won't hinder you again..."

"Don't be stupid...!" I yell at the idiot.

"I'm not! But you have more important things to worry about—the future of the entire world's in your hands, right? That's way more lives than just mine!"

"You should never have gotten involved in this...!"

"C'mon, you make it sound like I'm dying or something! Well, I'm not going to die—not for a long time! I'm still alive, so don't worry about me!" The connection's cutting out...! "When I see you again, you better be able to tell me that the future's safe! It has to be, for my mieus!"

Dammit all...

"It will be. That's a promise," Dad says.

"Yeah, so you better not die 'til you make all of them!"

"Right! Well, good lu—"

The picture fades. "Sardon...!"

"Sardon-san...!"

It's no good... Looks like we won't be able to contact him anymore...

"...We need to get the Eternal Sword back," the summoner speaks up after a moment.

"Agreed." Cless turns to the valkyries. "Where are we?"

"Ten thousand years ago, in Ifalde's time. You should get your weapons from him... They're made using a material that can kill the gods."

"...You're the ones that asked him to make them..." Now it all makes sense...

"Heimdall was the one who asked."

"What exactly _are_ the gods...?" Arche asks.

"I suppose we owe that to you... You see, the gods are spirits," Verdandi explains.

"Spirits...?"

"They died long ago," Urd tells us. "With the help of the summon spirits, they channeled large amounts of mana to destroy magitechnology. That mana killed their human bodies... but gave them enough to become spirits themselves.

"They each gained a new power from this mana. For Heimdall, it was the ability to read minds. For Odin, the ability to possess others. For Thor, the ability to teleport. And for Fenrir, it was the ability to control mana itself. However, she gave her ability to Yggdrasil to restore his mana and save him."

"Even so, she's still the strongest of the gods," Verdandi says.

"They've all worked hard to grow stronger and protect this world."

"They are the world's guardians."

The world's guardian's, huh...

"They cannot protect this world forever..." Skuld suddenly speaks up. "Their own internal suffering will bring about the downfall of both them and the world..."

"...Yeah. I know," I tell them. "The current people of the world need to protect it... That's part of our life here. If we always rely on the gods to save it..."

"We'll never grow like that. We'll never be free to correct our mistakes," the half elf says. "What they've done for us in the past is good and all, but..."

"It's wrong of them to sacrifice another planet," Cless adds. "And..."

"If they don't realize their mistakes, this world will die as well... And I don't want that... I want to continue living with Onii-chan and everyone..."

"This world is beautiful... We're not just going to let it die..." the cleric says.

"And the people of this world are worth it. People may make mistakes, but that's how we learn," Milard adds.

The valkyries smile. "If you have this much determination now..."

"Then surely you can beat the gods," Skuld finishes for her sister. "We'll be waiting here for you... Let us know when you're ready to fight them."

"Right."

"Morlia's to the southeast."

"Okay. We'll be back, then." I bring out the Rheairds, and we hop on. We lift up into the air and fly southeast.

Come to think of it, the way that area we landed in looks... Is that where Euclid is in the future...?

Anyway, the mountains are coming up. We fly to the other side—wait, isn't that Kratos...? And Yuan and Noishe...! Along with two others... They look up at us as we fly overhead. Great... We land near them and get off the flying machines.

"Uh... hey." They don't know us in this time... which just makes this even more awkward...

One of the new people—a woman with long, green hair—walks over to us. "Wow... Those are nice machines," she says with a smile.

"Thanks."

Kratos and the others walk over as well. "I don't suppose you've seen anything peculiar while flying."

"What sort of thing are you talking about?" Cless asks.

"We're looking for a girl... She's been kidnapped by a man named Nectar."

Nectar... That name sounds familiar...

"Ah...! You mean _that_ Nectar?" Arche suddenly speaks up. "The one that was guarding Lake Umacy with his friends?!"

"Yes... His friends were killed in the war, and now he's taking out revenge on Tethe'alla... We have to stop him..."

"Are you... Martel Yggdrasill?" Mint asks.

"Yes, I am."

This is... Martel? Then this boy must be Mithos...

"Guys... Do you mind if we help them?" Arche asks.

"I agree. Nectar's friends were really kind... We should at least pay our respects by helping him," the cleric says.

I sigh. "Well, it's not like it's out of our way... We have plenty of time, right?"

"Yeah!"

"We'll help you, then," Cless tells the four. "We'll definitely find him before he hurts that girl."

"Thank you..." Martel says, smiling kindly.

"No problem." Well, time to hunt that guy down... I think I remember him now; he was that red-haired half elf, right...? They were all half elves... I hope they weren't killed because of something stupid like that...

**Suzu received the title of Quick Warping Ninja. You mean the battle hasn't started yet?**

**Klarth received the title of Promising Friend. It may be fun to tease you at other times, but now that you're in trouble, I'll do what I can to help.**

**Chester received the title of Rebel Against the Heavens. I'll make the first attack if I have to... After all, this world needs to move on its own now, without the gods.**

**Cless learned Lightning Tiger Blast**

**Dhaos learned Sonic Fist**


	85. Date With Destiny

**YATTA~ I finally beat all the mothership titles in the Tales series~ Which is my excuse for taking so long. ...That and I had to move. ...And lost the paper I wrote more on in the process. ...Whoops.**

**Anyway! Thank you, Starry-chan, for Arche's awesome costume title. XD And thank you, David, for Chester's cool title~**

**Please enjoy the chapter~**

**Disclaimer: ...I still don't own the Tales series, despite beating it. Darn.**

**--Date With Destiny--**

We start walking around the coast. "I'm afraid you know my name, but I don't know yours..." Martel says. Cless passes around introductions. "It's nice to meet all of you," she continues when the swordsman finishes. "Arche-san, you're like us, aren't you...?"

"A half elf? Yeah."

"Chester and Dhaos seem a little different, though," Mithos says.

"Well that's..."

"It's fine," he says. "You don't have to tell us."

"Thanks."

"No problem. I'm glad... You're traveling with a half elf..."

"Yes. Arche-chan is our dear companion," Milard says kindly. Why does she never speak that kindly to me...?

"It's really nice to meet more people like you. Kratos-san is also a human, but... most humans don't like us... Because of that, Kratos-san..." Martel trails off.

"It's fine. I don't care," the man speaks up, though he still sounds as cold as usual...

"I hate people who discriminate," I say. "It disgusts me... We're all still people..."

"Yes. We're all the same, right? Humans, elves, half elves, angels... even demons," my best friend says with a glance at me.

"Angels? You guys have seen angels?" Mithos asks.

"Ah... Something like that..."

"Interesting... I didn't know there were more..."

Eh...? More...?

"Thank you all for your kindness," his sister speaks up. "I'm so glad to know that you truly believe that."

"Hm... You're all naïve," the last one of their group, Yuan, speaks up. "The world isn't like that... It's a cruel place. Such thinking will only hurt you in the end."

"Yes, yes... And yet, you continue to help us. Even now, when we're going to save a human," Mithos teases the blue haired half elf.

"That's..."

"You've been a great help... Thank you," Martel says with a kind smile.

Yuan's face turns a little red... Huh?

"Yuan, are you all right?"

"I-I'm fine!"

Arche floats over to him, a mischievous grin on her face. Uh-oh... "Hey, Yuan~! Do you like Martel?"

"N-no! It's nothing like that!"

"Eh~? Really?"

"Really!"

"Really..."

Geez, that girl... I kinda feel sorry for Yuan...

"We're here." That voice... Noishe? Right... I forgot that I can hear him now...

I turn to the others. "Hey, everyone. They should be around here..." I glance around. Where...

There, on the cliff...! There's Nectar, and that girl with him must be... "Nectar!"

"You...!" the young man says, glaring down at us. "Why are half elves traveling with so many humans...?!"

"Why did you kidnap her?! Hurting others won't bring anyone back...!" Arche yells up at him.

"Shut up...! This is all their fault... this is all because of humans! Because they scorned and ridiculed us... because they hurt us! All they ever do is oppress us—they'll never consider us on the same level as them! That's why... That's why I'm going to bring them down!"

"Even if humans were the ones who killed your friends... making yourself their antagonist doesn't help!" Mithos argues. "If we help them, then—"

"Then what? They'll accept us just like that? Don't be so naïve!"

"We can get much farther with kindness than with violence. Hurting others will only allow this conflict to continue," Mithos' sister speaks up.

"Shut up...! I'm going to destroy all humans...!" Wait, he's casting...! "Earthquake...!"

Whoa—ow...! Dammit, talking is no use with this idiot...!

"Martel, protect the girl!" Mithos unsheathes his sword and rushes forward—Yuan rushes forward as well with a large, strangely shaped double bladed sword.

"Yes...!" A magic circle appears under the half elf. Crap, Nectar's turning towards that human girl with his sword now.

"Now...!"

"Ah...!"

"Barrier!" Nectar's sword hits the barrier and bounces off—that was close. I quickly pull out my bow and notch an arrow—

"Chester." Kratos puts a hand on my shoulder. Eh...? "Let them handle this. If we interfere, it'll only make him hate humans more."

"...Right..." I lower my bow. Nectar and Yuan lock into close combat, both swinging at each other with surprising skill, while Mithos charges up. I guess that sword isn't too big for him after all...

"Icicle!" Spears of ice shoot forward from Mithos—one hits Nectar in the arm. Yuan uses the opening to knock his enemy back. He strikes again—Nectar manages to block this time. The kid charges in with his sword, while his sister runs over to help the captive girl escape. The two girls hurry over to us; I pull out my pocket knife and cut the ropes binding the captive. Meanwhile, Martel starts charging up again.

"Are you hurt anywhere?" Mint asks the girl.

"N-no, I'm fine... Thank you..."

"We didn't do anything," Cless says. "Those three are the ones you need to thank."

"Sharpness!"

Mithos and Yuan each strike one side of their enemy—he falls to his knees, dropping his sword. "Dammit... Why... Why are half elves like you helping humans...?!"

Martel steps forward. "It doesn't matter what race we are... This is simply about people helping other people. Humans are no different than us... We all share the same feelings. That's why... We want to help everyone smile, regardless of what race someone was born as."

"Heh... Such idealistic thinking..." Nectar says. "Too bad humans aren't really like that..."

"They are," Mithos speaks up. "All the humans who came with us believe the same thing."

"If you keep thinking like that, you'll be betrayed one day..."

"Nectar-san, please don't hurt anyone again. If you do, we'll be forced to fight you again." Martel charges up and heals him. Once feeling better, Nectar stands.

"...Even though we fought today, you're half elves like me. When the day comes that humans betray you, perhaps then we can fight on the same side." He turns and runs off. Keh... People can be so stubborn...

The three half elves walk back over to us. "Are you all right?" Martel asks the girl we rescued.

"Yes, thank you..." There's an awkward pause for a moment. Will this girl accept them...?

"Well, we should get going," Mithos finally says as he turns away.

"W-wait!" the girl calls out. "What you guys said back there..." We all look at her. She seems to be nervous, but... "I... Come to the dance party tonight!"

"Eh...?"

"But we're half elves..."

"Didn't that girl say it earlier? We're the same, right? You guys saved me... You've helped me smile again. So, now it's my turn to help you smile! That's only fair, right?" She says with a kind smile on her face. It's good to know she listened to Martel...

"Would that be all right? I'm sure other people wouldn't be too happy about it..." Martel says.

"It's okay; my family's hosting the ball, so I can get you in through a back entrance. It's the least I can do for you, really..."

"A ball... That does sound nice. What time tonight should we be there?" the summoner says. Don't we have things to do...?

"Eight o'clock. We have tons of formal outfits from past years, so I should be able to find something for all of you."

"Well, we have something to do before then, but we'll come around eight."

"Klarth, are you sure about this...?" Milard asks.

"It's our last night before our final battle, right? We need to be well rested."

"I suppose so... All right, just no drinking wine."

"A 'final battle'? Do you need our help?" Mithos speaks up.

"It's fine~! We just need to settle the score with our enemies. Don't worry about us!" the witch says.

"Yes. After we get what we need from Ifalde and rest, we'll be able to handle them," Cless adds.

"Ifalde-san's making something for you? You're lucky."

"We should escort the girl back to Altamira," Kratos says to his group.

"I know. We'll see you in Altamira, then."

"Yeah, see you there," I tell them. We wave, and the other group heads off. I turn to the others. "Let's go to Morlia!"

"Right!"

It's not too far, so we walk back to the cave.

We walk in. It's really dark in here... As our eyes adjust, we head down the stairs, until we reach the bridges. This is going to be a long walk...

I glance down. Actually, the space is pretty open... "Hey, think if we go one at a time, we could just fly the Rheairds down?"

"That's possible... We'd have to be careful not to burn the bridges, though," Dad points out.

"Arche and I can act as guides and make sure that doesn't happen," the angel suggests. "It'll be much faster."

"All right. Chester?"

"Right!" I hold out the wing pack, and the Rheairds appear on the cliff. We climb on—Cless helps the cleric on behind him. My kid sister wants to ride with Milard, so looks like I have Suzu on behind me. The two fliers start hovering over the cliff as I slowly lift up and fly over to them. I lower the Rheaird through the cliff—all right, if I just take things at this speed, it'll be easy.

"Chester-san," Suzu speaks up.

"Hm?"

"It's been a while... since we started this adventure."

"Heh... It really has, hasn't it... We've all come a long way."

"And tomorrow we will finally end it..."

"...Are you... anxious?"

"I'm a ninja. Ninjas do not get anxious."

Heh, she's still Suzu... "Everyone gets anxious."

After a moment, she says, "There's no need to be anxious... I'd much rather believe in everyone..."

"...Yeah, agreed." I admit, I wasn't expecting that from her. "Trusting everyone is so much better than wondering who the traitors are."

"We'll be fighting all three of the gods tomorrow... It'd be best to divide our strengths appropriately."

"Good idea. There's nine of us, so... three against each god?"

"Most likely."

"We'll talk to the others about that after getting our weapons." Speaking of, there's a good landing spot. The dwarves have noticed us... I fly down to that spot and land.

Suzu and I hop off and quickly move out of the way; I return our Rheaird to the wing pack. Milard lands next—after the two girls get off, I do the same thing. Next is Cless and Mint, and then finally Dad.

"'Ello there." That voice... Ifalde's already walking over to us.

"Hey Ifalde," I greet.

"Yer jus' in time. I jus' finished tha weapons. Come take a look." He turns and starts walking—we follow him. He takes us to his workshop, where nine weapons are laid out across the table. He even included a new set of arrows for me... I walk over and pick up the bow. This feeling it has... I hold it up and pull the string back. It's almost like it's adjusting a little to my style... Not only that...

"These weapons..."

"'Ey're made from tha finest material. 'Ey've also been gi'en power ta boost yer strength considerably."

"Thank you, Ifalde-san. These are perfect," Cless says for us all.

"Not a prob'em. You've been more than 'elpful ta us. Besides, it's nice ta see my greatest creations in good hands. I kno' you'll take care o' 'em." He grins up at us. "Good luck in yer battles."

"Thank you!" We all give him our thanks.

"Well, now that we're equipped, let's resupply and rest up. Tomorrow's a big day, after all!" I suggest. The others nod in agreement.

"Ifalde-san, we may never see you again, but... We truly are very grateful for this," Milard says.

"Ya ne'er know; ya may come back 'ere someday. If ya do, ya better stop by my workshop."

"We will."

"Let's go. Maybe we'll see you again, Ifalde!"

We say our goodbyes to the dwarf and hurry back over to the landing spot. We hop back on the Rheairds and start ascending through the caves. We can go faster this way, since we can see where we're going better...

All right, there's the top. We land and get off the Rheairds; I return them to the wing pack. We then start walking back towards the surface in silence.

This is probably a good time to talk about how we're gonna fight the gods. "So, Suzu and I were talking on the way down... It'd probably be best for three of us to fight each god."

"Good idea. We'll need to make sure it's an even split..."

"...The only thing I ask is that I get to fight Fenrir. We have a bit of a bad break-up to discuss."

"I don't think she'd even let you skip out on a fight against her."

"I need to fight Odin. I have a score to settle with him, myself," Dad speaks up.

"The same goes for me," the swordsman says.

"Those three and Mint, perhaps? That'd make a well-rounded team," suggests Dhaos.

"Yes, I agree."

"So, I guess we're the Odin three. And we have Fenrir's Chosen as one against her..."

"I wanna fight Fenrir, too! I haven't gotten a chance to beat her down for all the things she's done!" the witch says.

"You two will _definitely_ need a healer... But that does make our group physically weak..." Milard points out. "And that means that the Thor group wouldn't have a healer..."

"Our group is more fit for combat, though. We will be fine without a healer," Suzu says. "If things go as expected, we'll fight Fenrir last; whoever's feeling best after their fight can join in yours."

"That sounds like a good plan."

Whoa, it's really bright outside compared to in the cave... We cover our eyes from the sun. Okay, now that I can see again... I pull the Rheairds back out. Looks like we'll be arriving at the party earlier than planned. The city's not far at all, so we land near it within minutes. It's a pretty lively city... We walk into it, glancing around for Kratos' group.

"Everyone! Over here!" That voice... Mithos. He's in an alleyway—we walk over to him. "I didn't think you'd get here so quickly. Did Ifalde meet you part way?"

"No. We have some flying machines that took us there," I explain.

"Really? Where are they?"

"In here." I show him the wing pack. "Anyway, where are the others?"

"They went with Lisa—the girl we rescued—to find outfits for everyone. I came out here to see the city and watch for you. Come on, I'll take you there."

"Thanks." We follow the kid to the largest mansion in the area. Looks like some people are already entering it for this ball... Mithos leads us around to a side entrance, where he knocks.

A servant answers. "Ah, are these your friends? Welcome. Come right this way." I guess he knows that we're secretly joining... He leads us through the halls. We soon reach a large door... The servant knocks and enters. "Miss Lisa, the rest of your guests have arrived."

Kratos, Martel, Yuan, and Lisa are here, already dressed. "Great, thanks!" the human girl shuffles over to us. "We found the _perfect_ outfits for you! Martel, will you help me?" As the girls pull out some outfits, Kratos and Yuan stand off to the side—they're wearing white and black suits, respectively. Martel's in a lovely green dress...

"Here you go," the half elf says as she hands an outfit to me. The girls pass the rest around as well.

"Feel free to keep them after this," Lisa offers. "We don't need any of those outfits anymore. You can use the bathroom to change in."

"Ladies first," Dad offers.

"You should get changed first, Mint! I bet your dress will look really pretty on you!" Arche says.

"Ah, I'm not so sure about that..."

"Come on! We need to do something with your hair, too!"

"Eh...?"

The witch pushes the cleric inside the bathroom and then closes the door with both of them in there. Poor Mint... Hm, though... They _are_ changing...

"A-Arche-chan!" I hear Mint say. "What are you—"

"Come on, don't be so modest! You have a nice body!"

"I-I don't...!"

"Yuan, are you all right?" Martel speaks up. I glance over at the two.

"I'm fine...!"

"You should really relax some. I don't know about you, but I've never been to a party like this before!"

"Shouldn't you be worried? If someone finds us..."

"It'll be fine! I already introduced four of you as my saviors, and Dad agreed that he would make sure no one bothered you or treated you special," Lisa says.

"Someone could recognize us."

"It'll be too crowded for that, Plus the lights'll be dim."

"Yeah, and if someone does notice us, it wouldn't be very wise of them to make a big scene in a fancy place like that, right? We can always sneak out if we notice anything off," Mithos points out.

"See? It'll be all right. I think this is a great time for us to relax and have some fun. I'm really excited about it!" the half elf girl says.

Yuan's face turns a little red, and he quickly looks away. "F-fine. If Martel says it'll be all right..."

"The ball should have enough people by now if you two wanna go on out there. It'll probably be better to go in small numbers," our hostess suggests. "Just be sure to ask Martel to a dance, Yuan."

His face turns even more red. "I-I don't dance...!"

"Let's go out and enjoy the party, Yuan," Martel says with a smile.

"Oh, right! When you take a lady to the party, you have to escort her... Here, stand beside each other..." Lisa walks over to the two, showing Yuan how to properly escort a girl. Heh, he's completely embarrassed. "All right, now get going! We'll see you out there!" The two walk out the door together and towards the ball.

Mithos chuckles once they're gone. "That Yuan... He really makes things so obvious."

"...I should probably head out there as well and keep an eye on them," Kratos suggests.

"Yeah, please do. I'll join you once I get changed."

With that, Kratos exits the room.

The door to the bathroom finally opens, and Mint steps out. Wow... She has a white shirt with a turtleneck, and it has a green jewel on the neck. The sleeves of the shirt are poofed out at the shoulder, then gathered after that... until the end, where the ends trail down. Over the shirt, she has a light green vest with flower patterns all over it. The skirt—which is long enough to cover her feet—is also a light green, and it has a white cloth hanging down over the front of it. Most of her hair's pinned up, while the front stands of her hair a hanging down, slightly curled at the ends.

Arche comes out behind her. She's... Erm, I mean... She's wearing a pink dress... It's a sleeveless dress, but she has a gold necklace with a small gold circle outline on the end... only the circle has a triangle cut into it on the right side... Anyway, it actually manages to frame her curveless-body... wait, what am I saying... There's a purple ribbon tied around her waist, and translucent fabric hanging over the dress part—pink and purple. There's a purple stripe at the bottom as well. And she also has two flowing disconnected sleeves. She has most of her hair hanging down, while two braids on either side of her head pulled back into a little bun.

"Hey, Chester! What are you staring at?" the witch demands.

"N-nothing!" Ah crap... was I staring?

"Mint really looks good, doesn't she?"

"A-Arche-chan..."

"Mint..." Cless speaks up.

"Ah... Cless-san..." The two stare at each other, neither saying a word...

"Well, Mint, since we're dressed, let's get out there already! Cless, hurry up, before some random guy picks Mint up!" Arche takes Mint's hand and leads the distressed girl out of the room. Arche...

Why... Dammit, why do I feel so weird...?!

**Suzu received the title of Trusting Ninja. I'd much rather trust my friends and believe in their strength than to live and fight alone.**

**Chester received the title of Date With Destiny. I have to settle the score with my ex-girlfriend... once and for all!**

**Mint received the title of Elegant Noble. In that nice dress, you look just like a princess! ...Wait...**

**Arche received the title of Curveless Wonder. Even an ironing board can look good in the right dress.**


	86. Man in Love

**It only took 81 chapters for this to finally come out. /swt More if you include the bonus chapters. ...Good job Chester. Anyway, please enjoy the ball! Expect a bonus chapter next!**

**The girl formal outfits were made by me, and the guy ones were made by David.**

**And thank you, Starry-chan, for helping me with the titles again!**

**Disclaimer: Same as always.**

**--Man in Love--**

Okay, well, Ami's getting changed next... Lisa takes Suzu to a room across the hall to change, so we can get out there soon. Maybe I should make Cless change next... He needs to go save Mint from Arche and the guys out there, after all.

Suzu finishes first. She's wearing a white shirt with sleeves only covering her shoulders. It comes down in a point, where it's attached to a gold pendant, and a strand of white cloth hangs down from that. Two gold cloths come out in the same way under the shirt on her sides. Her skirt is also white, almost going down to her knees. Her hair's actually down... I don't think I've ever seen her like that.

"That looks wonderful on you, Suzu-chan," Milard compliments her.

"I'm not sure I like wearing a skirt... It makes things more difficult."

"Well, it's not like you're gonna do any fighting in that..." I point out.

The bathroom door opens and Ami comes out. She's wearing a cute blue dress with a skirt about as long as Suzu's; there's a pink flower design on the bottom of it. Its sleeves aren't on the shoulders, but hang on the arm a little, each with little white bows on them. She also has a white ribbon tied around her waist, with a messed up bow in the back. She has her hair pulled up and clipped behind her head.

I sigh and walk over to her. "Turn around; I'll fix that bow." She does so, and I kneel down and retie it for her. "There you go." I stand, giving her a pat on the head.

"Thank you, Onii-chan!"

"That really looks great on you, Ami," Cless says.

"R-really?! Thank you...!"

He had to be the one to speak up first...

"Cless-san, you should get changed next so you can escort us out there."

Cless laughs. "All right." That idiot... Oh well. He goes into that other room to change, while Milard enters the bathroom. Ami's in the clouds now...

"This dance is going to be so much fun~!"

"You don't even know _how_ to dance."

"Ah... O-Onii-chan...!"

"I bet you'll be quite clumsy at it."

"I will not!"

Heh, she's so much fun to tease.

Cless comes back in. He's wearing a white turtleneck shirt that comes together at the front with gold trim. He's also wearing a white cape that's crimson on the inside, with a ruby clasp holding it together on his left shoulder. His pants are also white, going into a pair of white boots with gold trim. He's also wearing a white headband with some triangular gold and crimson patterns on the end.

"Wow, Cless-san, that looks amazing!"

"You really look like a royal hero in that!" Lisa says.

"Ah, thank you..." He smiles down at Ami and Suzu. "Shall we, then?"

"Yes...!" Ami hurries over to him, and he escorts the two kids out. Dhaos goes to get changed next.

The bathroom door opens again, and Milard steps out. Whoa... She's in a sleek crimson dress that fits her nice form perfectly. It goes up to her neck in a point, where there's a strap holding it. There are beaded straps coming off of that, hanging over her shoulders... The bottom of the dress is longer on her right side, where it comes down in another point. Her hair's tied up in a bun with chopsticks through it.

"...Klarth."

"Yes?"

"Stop staring."

"I'm not staring!"

"I could probably use one of these chopsticks as a quill..."

"Now you're picking up bad habits from Arche..."

Milard smiles. "She has a good policy for dealing with perverts. Though I suppose pulling your ear could work as well."

"I'm getting changed now." Dad hurries past Milard, into the bathroom, while she's grinning triumphantly. Ear pulling...? I don't even want to know where she got that idea from...

Dhaos comes back in. He's wearing a dark red shirt with a high collar. His pants are a dark tan color, and they go into black boots. Over it all, he has a huge black cloak... thing. The sleeves of it are big and loose. His hair's down like normal, but he doesn't have a headband on.

"...Hair." Lisa says as she walks over to him.

"My hair is fine."

"Oh just put it in a low ponytail!" She hands him a band to use.

"I agree. It's best to pull your hair back at least some in a formal outfit," Milard adds.

He scowls, but he does it anyway.

"There! That looks really good!" Lisa compliments him.

"It really suits you well."

Keh... I still don't like Dhaos. I hurry past him, into that other room we've been using. Well, I guess it's my turn... I start getting changed.

The shirt's a dark blue button-up, but the buttons are off-center—on the right. The sleeves fold over at the end, with a button on each. The pants are also dark blue, and made of a nice material. I pull the blue boots on, tucking the pants into them a little. I also have a blue belt... and then another cloth... Ah, a sash. It's light blue—I put it over my left shoulder. I exit the room and walk back over to the others.

"That looks great, Chester-kun. I didn't know you could clean up so well," Milard says.

"Heh, I thought about finding a different color for you... but blue really suits you perfectly," Lisa says.

"Thanks. It's a good color." I glance over at Dad, who's done changing.

He's wearing a white shirt with frills on the collar and sleeves. Over it he has a chestnut vest—which he left unbuttoned. His belt's brown, and his pants are black. He's actually not wearing boots—instead, he's wearing black formal shoes. And on his head is a short black top hat...

"Did you have to add the hat?"

"Of course."

"It's not Klarth without some kind of hat," Milard jokes.

"You have a point there."

"You four should go out there—I'll wait for Mithos," Lisa says.

"Right, thanks."

"Thank you."

We head out to the ballroom... Wow, there's a lot of people here already. There's also some slow music playing. Well, I guess it's time to relax and have fun... Let's see... Ah, there's a nice group of lovely young ladies. I walk over.

"Hello there."

"Oh, hello. I haven't seen you around before..."

"I'm not from around here. I've never been to a party like this, so I was hoping you could help me out some. My name's Chester..."

"And then I hit it with my broom!" Wait, that's Arche's voice... I glance over. She's talking to a guy, who's laughing now. Keh...

"Wow, that really sounds amazing, Lady Arche."

"Thanks! I feel like I've just been rambling this whole time, though..."

"It's fine. Your voice is lovely..."

Why that...

"Chester? Are you all right?" Ah... right. I'm talking to people...

"Ah, I'm fine. Just all the noises getting to me a little..."

"Thanks. I think I need to get something to eat, though," I hear Arche say. "I bet the food here is amazing!"

"It really is. Come, I'll show you," the man says, and the two start walking.

Keh... "I think I'm going to get something to drink. Maybe it'll help my head a little," I tell the girls.

"All right. Please come back over after you've eaten."

"Yeah, I will..." I walk over to the buffet table. Why am I doing this...?

There they are... I walk straight up to them. Right, I need to ask Arche... "Hey, Arche."

She turns around. "Eh? Chester?"

"What'd you do with Mint?"

"What do you mean what did I do?!"

"Did you get her kidnapped by some guy?"

"As a matter of fact, I did! Look!" She points out to where people are dancing. Where's Mint...

...Eh? Cless and Mint... "Wait, how'd you get them dancing already?"

"It's quite simple, really. I just took Mint over to a group of guys, and they were all over her in a matter of seconds! So, naturally, Cless had to save her."

"Is this a friend of yours, Lady Arche?" that man asks.

Keh... "What's with the 'lady'? That doesn't suit this klutz at all."

"Chester...!"

"She's not a klutz at all. She's quite a remarkable woman."

"You obviously don't know her very well... She always messes things up. I bet if you tried dancing with her, she'd be tripping all over the place."

"What?! Hey, I can dance just fine!"

"Yeah right."

"You're not one to talk! I bet you don't even know how to keep in beat!" Arche challenges.

"I can dance pretty well, actually!"

"Like I believe that!"

"Probably better than you!"

"Prove it!"

"Fine, I will!" I grab her wrist and pull her out towards the dance floor.

"C-Chester...!"

...You know, now that I think about it, I could've grabbed someone else for this... Well, I guess it's a little late now... The song's changing. I turn to the half elf and hold her, waiting for the music to start.

The singer starts, "What day is it? And in what month? This clock never seemed so alive..." The music starts with him, and I start dancing with Arche... It's a nice slow beat, so it's not hard at all. "I can't keep up, and I can't back down; I've been losing so much time...

"'Cause it's you and me, and all of the people"—I give her a twirl—"with nothing to do, nothing to lose; and it's you and me, and all of the people and I don't know why, I can't keep my eyes off of you..." This is actually... kinda nice...

"All of the things that I wanna say just aren't coming out right... I'm tripping on words, you've got my head spinning; I don't know where to go from here..."

Now I spin her away, keeping a hold of her hand, and then pull her back in close. "'Cause it's you and me, and all of the people with nothing to do, nothing to prove; and it's you and me, and all of the people and I don't know why, I can't keep my eyes off of you..."

The music quiets down a little—Arche and I continue dancing. "'Cause it's you and me, and all of the people with nothing to do, nothing to lose; and it's you and me, and all of the people and I don't know why, I can't keep my eyes off of—

"You and me"—I spin her again as the music picks up—"and all of the people with nothing to do, nothing to prove; and it's you and me and all of the people and I don't know why, I can't keep my eyes off of you..."

"What day is it? And in what month? This clock never seemed so alive..." The music stops, and we stop as well. Arche... She really looks...

"Arche..."

She blinks... and then grins. "It's kinda hot in here, don't you think?"

"...Yeah... Maybe we should step outside..."

"Let's go, then!" She holds my hand and leads the way to a pair of doors. We're soon out on the balcony—I didn't realize how dark it'd gotten...

Arche takes a seat on a bench. "Geez... My feet are killing me! I hate high heels..."

I sit down next to her. "So that explains why you seem taller... Glad it's not just my imagination."

"People really aren't meant to walk like this."

"Yeah well, you girls wear all sorts of weird things sometimes. Nothing wrong with that, though..."

There's an awkward pause. It's usually so easy to talk to her... though I'm also usually finding any way I can to pick on her...

"Chester... Are you okay? We're fighting her... Merilynn... tomorrow... She was your friend..."

"...We're not fighting Merilynn. We're fighting Fenrir... She's changed too much from that girl I knew. We need to hurry up and stop her before she powers up Yggdrasil too much."

"Yeah... Hard to believe that the tree that gives us life is going to attack humanity. Though looking back throughout time... people have done nothing but hurt it."

"That may be, but that doesn't mean we should be killed for it. People can learn from their mistakes and change..." I glance down at her. "Humans... and elves."

"That hasn't changed as drastically," Arche says with a forced smile. "People hate half elves no matter what time you go to."

"Even if some people hate half elves, not everyone does... We've met a lot of people who don't care what race you are. And I..."

"Chester...?"

I grin at her. "Let's do our best tomorrow. After we beat Fenrir down, maybe we can do something about those stuffy elves."

She blinks... and then grins as well. "Right!" She leans on my shoulder... "Thank you, Chester..."

"You getting tired on me already?"

"Maybe a little... but I wanna stay out here a little longer..."

"...Yeah, me too..." I put an arm around her and hold her close. I understand now... How long have I been putting it off? I just didn't want to admit the truth... to myself or anyone else... But the truth is, Arche, I...

...I love you...

**Suzu received the title of Ninja in a Skirt. This isn't the sort of thing I want to fight in...**

**Ami received the title of Young Lady. With a pretty dress and a man escorting her, she's ready to join the ball.**

**Cless received the title of Heroic Gentleman. The outfit of a hero and the manners of a gentleman... No one will turn down that kind smile.**

**Milard received the title of Thorny Rose. She may look beautiful, but she's not afraid to hurt perverts.**

**Dhaos received the title of First Time Scrunchie User. A true gentleman ties his hair back, you know.**

**Chester received the title of Signature Color. No matter what type of outfit you're wearing, it looks better if it's blue.**

**Klarth received the title of Can't Forget the Hat. Even in a formal outfit, you have to have some kind of hat...**

**Arche received the title of Good Dancer. Well, it's nice to know that you dance better than you cook.**

**Chester received the title of Man in Love. Arche... I love you.**

**Ayame received the title of Women's Formal Fashion Designer. It is a title given to one who designed the women's formal wear for the party.**

**David received the title of Men's Formal Fashion Designer. It is a title given to one who designed the men's formal wear for the party.**


	87. Bonus Chapter: Requited Feelings

**I love typoes. Apparently Mint is honest, not modest. (Fixed it, but I couldn't stop laughing at that mistake XD)**

**Anyway~ Bonus chapter from Mint's point of view this time. Just Milard and Dhaos left...**

**A few of my OCs from other stories cameo in this chapter. Mike (used his full name for this, though) is from my Sonic fanfic, Zain and Raymond are from an original story idea, and Caizer's from yet another original story (with a main character based off of Sau).**

**...Sorry for the super-short chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Tales series. It's owned by Namco Bandai. I also do not own the song (by the way, it's (Nocturne by Chopin (I've been playing too much Eternal Sonata)). I do, however, own Mike, Zain, Ray, and Caizer.**

**--Requited Feelings--**

"A-Arche-chan...!" She drags me out into the ballroom. Th-this is embarrassing... I was hoping to come out with...

"Hey, there's some guys over there! We should go talk to them!"

"Eh...?!" No, that's not who I...!

"Why hello, ladies," one of the men says with a light tone in his voice. "I don't believe I've seen a pair as lovely as the two of you before."

"We're new around here. I'm Arche, and this is Mint."

"I'm Michael, and this is Zain, Caizer, and Raymond."

"It's nice to meet you," I say. Well, I'm here now...

"Are you new here? I didn't think I could miss such adorable young women..." Zain-san comments.

"Eh...? I'm not..."

"Mint, right?" Raymond-san asks. "You don't need to be so modest. You really do look quite charming."

"A-ah... Stop it... I'm not..."

"Mint just gets a little nervous around handsome guys~!"

"A-Arche-chan...!"

"A little shy, eh?" Caizer-san speaks up. "You don't need to worry around us, Mint-chan~! We won't bite. ...Much."

"Maybe we can help you," Michael-san says.

"Hm... There's probably a lot we can teach her... especially since it's night..."

"Zain...!"

"I was just joking, Ray. Though if your sister needs some tutoring..."

"Don't you even think about it."

"Oh come on, Mint's much cuter than that tomboy," Michael-san joins in. I... don't know what to do...

"She definitely is cute... Well, Mint, do you know how to dance?" Zain-san asks.

"Eh? Well..." I learned at the castle...

"Of course! Mint's good at _everything_! She'll make a good wife for someone."

"Eh?!" W-what is Arche-chan saying...?!

"Is that so? Well then, how about a dance with m—"

"Excuse me..." That voice...! I spin around—Cless-san... He looks really...

He offers me a hand. "May I have this dance?" He's... really asking me... I nod and put my hand in his. He takes me out on the dance floor, holding my hand. There's a lovely piano piece playing... It's quiet and slow, but... it's perfect...

Cless-san turns to me and holds me close. We start dancing.

"I apologize for asking you so suddenly," he whispers as we dance. "You looked like you could use some help."

"Thank you... I didn't know what I was going to say..."

"You don't need to worry. Whenever you need help, I'll be there for you."

Cless-san... I... "...I want to help you, too..."

"You do. You're always supporting me... Thank you, Mint."

"I haven't really done anything..."

"You have. I..." He glances away. His face is red... He glances back at me. "...You look beautiful, Mint..."

"I don't..." Is that really all I can say...? No, I can do better... "You look great, Cless-san. Those colors really suit you..."

"You think so?"

"Yes... Definitely."

"I guess white fits both of us, then."

"Yes..."

We continue dancing in silence. Maybe I should tell him how I feel... but with the final battle tomorrow... I don't want to distract him. After it's over...

Cless-san trips. "Are you all right...?" I ask him.

"I'm fine. Sorry, I guess I'm not really that good at dancing..."

"You're doing fine. I'm really enjoying this."

"I am, too," he says with a smile. "Shall we continue, then? I'll try not to trip again."

I nod. "Yes..." We resume dancing again. He says nothing; I'm not really sure what to say, either...

"Mint, I want you to promise me something."

"What is it...?"

"Tomorrow's battle... Make sure you protect yourself during it."

"I'll protect all of us as much as I can..."

"I guess I'm just worried that you'll put barriers on us and not bother doing the same for yourself... but you can't do that against Odin. He's smart; if he notices you don't have a barrier, he'll probably target you. And... I don't want you to get hurt..."

"I don't want you to get hurt, either... If something were to happen to you, I—" What am I saying... I can't...

"Mint..." I glance up at him.

We've stopped dancing... "Cless-san..."

"Mint... After all of this is over... well..." He pauses... "...Will you dance with me again?"

"Yes. I'll dance with you any time..." Someone bumps into me, pushing me closer to Cless-san. "Oh... I guess we should move off the dance floor, shouldn't we?"

He laughs. "I guess so. Come on; let's join some of the others."

"Agreed." We walk off the dance floor. He's still holding my hand...

You feel it too, don't you, Cless-san...? I wasn't sure before, but now I can tell... We feel the exact same way...

Tomorrow, we'll win this battle... together. And after that... I want to be with only you.

**Mint received the title of Requited Feelings. You and I feel the same way, Cless-san...**


	88. Bonus Chapter: Nakama

**None of these bonus chapters are going to be long, it seems. Just the 'Flanoir scene', as I like to call it (despite the game. I guess I call it that 'cause Symphonia was the first one I played.) Maybe this one should be the Altamira scene or the ball scene, though. XD**

**Well, this is Dhaos' bonus chapter. Enjoy~**

**Disclaimer: Same as always.**

**--Nakama--**

Hm... So this is an Aselian ball... It's not really that much different from one in Derris-Kharlan. But here, I'm...

Milard sighs. "And there goes Chester-kun, straight over to the nearest group of girls... Typical."

"Oh, look over there. It seems that Cless and Mint are already dancing," Klarth says.

"We should probably find the other three, then... _before_ Arche-chan gets herself in trouble," the woman suggests.

"I'll let you search for Arche, then. I'll find Ami... Dhaos, do you mind checking on Suzu?"

"...Fine." I turn and walk away from them. It's strange... I don't want to be part of them, yet...

It's far too crowded in here. This room is rather small for this many people... though not having anything in the vertical direction doesn't help.

"Dhaos-san!" Hm? I glance towards the voice—it's Ami. She and Suzu are sitting at a table. I walk over to them. "That looks good on you, Dhaos-san!"

"...Thank you." I'm not really sure what to say to that...

"Why don't you have a seat?"

I might as well. I sit down next to the children.

"Is everyone else out here now?" Suzu asks.

"Everyone except Mithos and Lisa. They should be out soon."

Ami's staring out at the dance floor. "Cless-san..."

That's right... She has a crush on him, doesn't she?

...She is still a child... Perhaps I can give her some advice... "If he didn't ask you to dance, you shouldn't wait for him. There will be others."

"I don't want anyone else..."

"If you stay that close-minded, you'll only hurt yourself."

"I..." Ami looks down. "I..."

"Ami," Suzu speaks up. "Even if he doesn't feel the same way about you... don't forget that you still have friends here. And tonight... is a night to relax."

The other girl nods and wipes the tears off her face. "Mm... I know. Thank you Suzu-chan, Dhaos-san."

"I didn't do anything."

Ami smiles up at me. "You're trying to help, right? Even if you're a little blunt and rude about it..." Her smile fades.

"Hm... I suppose maybe I am."

"Still... That's just part of who you are. Like it's part of who Suzu-chan is to be serious, even when trying to joke. And I'm so glad to have both of you as friends!"

Friends?...

"I'm a ninja."

Ami giggles. "I knew you were going to say that..."

"I'm not a friend," I tell her.

"Of course you are! You're one of us."

One of... them?

"You're mistaken. I'm just temporarily working with you for Derris-Kharlan's best interest."

"That doesn't change the fact that you're a member of the team. I'm sure we all joined for our own reasons in the end. And we've all really come a long way..."

"It's said that fighting together brings people closer," Suzu adds. "I think I fully understand that now."

"Yeah, exactly! And besides, if you weren't our friend, you'd have turned on us when you learned about the whole Derris-Kharlan tree thingy..."

"...You need to work on your descriptive skills." I sigh. "Still... I suppose I understand where you two are coming from. There's a certain understanding that's gained during battle... not to mention trust."

"...To be honest, I'm a little sad that the journey's gonna end..." Ami says. "I know it's good that we're finally going to beat them, but... I'm going to miss everyone... I guess it kinda felt like we'd be together forever..." She sighs and looks up at us. "Suzu-chan, Dhaos-san, what are you two going to do after this?"

"I'm going to return to Japoni and work as a true ninja."

"If you're ever in Miguel, you have to stop by and say hi to me!"

"I will."

"What about you, Dhaos-san?"

"I have to return to Derris-Kharlan as soon as this is over. There's no doubt a lot of work to be done..."

"What exactly do you do there? Do you have a job?"

"I work in politics."

"Wow... Is that hard?" She has so many questions...

"It can be at times."

"Will we ever see you again...?"

"I can't say. Perhaps."

"It's always possible," Suzu speaks up. "We're in the same time period, after all."

"Yeah, you're right! Even if we're separated... we'll definitely all meet again someday!" Ami says with a smile. "It's a promise!"

All of us... I guess I really am...

Ami glances out at the dance crowd. "Mint-san really looks lovely, doesn't she... and Cless-san..." She closes her eyes. After a moment, she opens them again. "If Cless-san hurts her, I'm going to beat him up!"

So she's trying... "...You're becoming as violent as your brother."

"Ah... Not quite! Onii-chan keeps telling me he's going to beat up my first boyfriend!" she complains, pouting.

"Considering how overprotective he is of you," Suzu says, "I wouldn't be surprised if he hired me or Sheena to stalk all of your boyfriends."

"Eh...?!"

"...I'm joking."

"Ah..." Ami pauses a moment before laughing. "Haha, thank you, Suzu-chan."

"For what?"

"It's nothing... I'm just glad you're here. Both of you."

...Yes... I really am 'part of the group.' Perhaps we really are companions.

At first, I hated having to travel with these people. They're strange, and they didn't seem very smart, but... I'm glad I stayed with them. They're really not that bad after all... And maybe...

Maybe they're my 'friends'...

**Dhaos received the title of Nakama. These are the people I trust and care about. I will fight alongside them in the final battle.**


	89. Bonus Chapter: Fiancee

**This chapter was just plain fun. Last bonus chapter, so enjoy it! This one's from Milard's point of view.**

**Disclaimer: Same as always.**

**--Fiancée--**

The ball's quite lively... I don't see any of the others here. Chester-kun immediately walks off to—ah, that boy... "And there goes Chester-kun, straight over to the nearest group of girls... Typical."

"Oh, look over there. It seems that Cless and Mint are already dancing," Klarth says. He's not even paying attention... either that or he's sticking up for Chester and trying to distract me.

"We should probably find the other three, then... _before_ Arche-chan gets herself in trouble," I suggest. I'll have to keep an eye on Chester-kun...

"I'll let you search for Arche, then. I'll find Ami... Dhaos, do you mind checking on Suzu?"

"...Fine."

The two men start walking. Arche-chan shouldn't be that hard to find; I just need to look for pink...

There she is. Interesting... She's flirting with a guy pretty close to Chester. Looks like he can overhear her, too. Well, in that case, it'd be best to leave them be unless they get too loud... With this atmosphere, maybe they'll finally get somewhere.

Speaking of, I still... Maybe I shouldn't have sent Klarth off...

What am I saying; I have to be the adult here. I have to take care of everyone.

Though... Perhaps I can help him find Ami-chan. She'll be harder to find, since she's so small... I imagine she'll be with Suzu-chan, but considering the fact that she's a ninja, that doesn't really make it any easier... I start walking through the crowd, looking for the children.

"Miss. Excuse me, Miss!" Eh...? I glance back; a man is standing there, smiling at me. "Sorry, you seemed a little lost... Is there anything I can help you with?"

"Thank you, but I'm fine. I'm simply looking for a couple friends of mine."

"I'm sure they'll find you if they need anything," the man says. "My name's Henry. What's yours?"

He no doubt wants to flirt... "Milard."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Milard." He grabs my hand and kisses the back of it. So he's old fashioned... but... "Would you like to spend the evening with me? I can show you a good time here and introduce you to some very influential people, if you'd like."

And there's the offer... "Sorry, but I already have a date."

The man frowns. "Then why isn't he with you...? He must not be very wise to leave a lovely woman like yourself all alone... I know I definitely wouldn't make that mistake..."

This guy doesn't know when to quit... "He knows that I'm quite capable of handling myself."

"It's still quite rude of him in this setting... If I may, how close are you two...?"

How close...? Hm... "He's my fiancé."

"Eh...?"

That did the trick.

"Milard!" Uh-oh... Klarth walks over with two glasses of wine in his hands. I wasn't counting on that... "Dhaos already found the children. Here; you need to relax some tonight." He hands me one of the wine glasses.

"Children...?" The man I was talking to frowns as he looks between the two of us. He isn't... "You two have children old enough to attend before being married...?"

"Eh...?"

"It's not... No," I tell the idiot.

"You're Milard's fiancé, right?" the man asks Klarth.

"Fi..." I should've left before Klarth came over... This is embarrassing...

Klarth suddenly starts laughing. "Yes, I am. Let me guess, you tried hitting on her? That would never work on Milard. You see,"—he puts an arm around me—"she's quite enamored with me."

He's playing along... but... "Klarth, your ego needs seeing to," I tell him.

"Now if you don't mind, I'm going to steal her away now. Enjoy the party~!" Klarth and I walk away from that man.

He takes me over to a bench on the side, where he sits down. "Fiancé, is it?"

I sit down next to him. "It was the first thing I thought of. ...Thanks for playing along, though."

Playing along... even so, for a moment...

"It was actually kind of fun. Maybe I should've teased you a little more while I had the chance," he says.

"It was fun..." I stare down at my full glass of wine.

Klarth leans back. "I've never been one for fancy parties like this."

"Neither have I. But I'm still glad that we joined in... First Cless-kun and Mint-chan, then Chester-kun and Arche-chan... They can find strength in their love for each other, they just need to know where to look. I think this party will be good for all of them."

"What about us?"

Eh...? "W-what do you mean...?"

"...Forgive me. Maybe I've had a little too much to drink to say something like that..."

I glance down at his wine glass. "...You haven't had anything to drink."

"How do you know this isn't my second glass? Or third, for that matter?"

"You found me too fast. Besides, I'd know if you've had 'a little too much to drink'."

He chuckles. "You would, wouldn't you... You know me better than anyone." He takes a sip and then glances at me. "Are you ready for the battle tomorrow?"

"Of course. Are you?"

"Naturally."

"And the spirits?"

"They're all ready for this. They want to help Yggdrasil, but... they trust us."

"We won't betray that. We'll find a way..."

"I know," Klarth says. "Well, we'll be fighting in two separate battles... You're not allowed to die before this old man, Milard."

Klarth... "You're not allowed to die before me, either."

"Hm, that puts us at a bit of a standstill. Unless we die at the exact same time..."

"Let's talk about something less morbid, please. Neither of us are dying any time soon."

He chuckles again. "I know." He takes another sip. "Let's see, another subject... Ah, where are you planning on going after this?"

"I'm not sure..."

"Well, I guess I have a home in Miguel now... If you want to stay with us..."

"Are you sure that'd be all right?"

"Yes... I'd like you to come stay with us... I'd like for you to continue to be my assistant..."

"Yes, I'd like that as well... You may be a little insane, but I..." ...I like that about you...

"Perhaps you could stay with me forever..."

"Forever? Klarth..."

He grins at me. That grin... I know it...

I think I understand what it means now... Forever, with him... It's still embarrassing to admit to, but...

Maybe then that trick we played today will become a reality... I hope so... I take a sip of the wine. It tastes good...

"I'm not really prepared for this, but..." Klarth pauses; we stare at each other for a moment. "Milard... After all of this is over... will you marry me...?"

He really... "...Aren't we supposed to date first...?"

"You're not really much of the dating type."

"I suppose you have a point there..."

"So are you going to answer me or leave me hanging...?"

"Hm... Leaving you hanging could be amusing..."

"Eh...?"

I laugh now. Klarth... "My answer is... yes."

**Milard received the title of Fiancée. It is a title given to a woman who is betrothed to the man she loves.**


	90. Scared Brother

**T.T' I'm getting so terribly close to the end. What ever shall I do? ...Besides write a sequel. But seriously, when I'm done with that, I'll be a very sad fox. (...'Cept for the fact that I have other stories I started on. But they're not the same! T.T')**

**Well, enjoy this chapter! This battle took a while, but it was fun~ And thank you to those of you that tried to help me with hi-ougi names!**

**Disclaimer: Same as always. Don't own it.**

**--Scared Brother--**

It's a little chilly out... Arche's trembling... "Hey, let's go inside now," I suggest.

"Mm-mm..."

"...Are you falling asleep on me?"

"Mm-mm..."

"...Are you just answering me with that?"

"Mm-mm..."

I sigh. Geez she can be difficult sometimes... "Aren't you freezing?"

"Turn into a wolf if you're so worried about it..."

"_Here_, Arche? We're kinda in the middle of a ball."

She giggles tiredly. "We could watch everyone trying to run in their fancy clothes." She glances up at me. "Speaking of, you never told me how I look."

Oh geez... What am I supposed to do, compliment her? "You look... very pink."

"...Very pink?"

"Yep. Blindingly pink."

"Is that supposed to be a compliment or an insult?" Arche asks, distrusting.

"Probably an insult—ow!" She pinched me...

"You're a jerk..."

"And you're violent..." Maybe I really _do_ have a thing for dangerous girls... dammit. No, I think it's really just her... As much of a klutz as she is, it's kinda...

Her eyes are closed... She actually looks surprisingly peaceful...

"...Hey, Arche, are you still awake?"

She's not answering...

"You can't sleep out here, you know..."

She's... still not answering. Arche... She really is... cute...

Maybe I should take her to—...wait, where are we even sleeping tonight? Maybe I should ask Lisa... Except I'm kinda stuck now...

"Ah, Chester! There you are!" That's—I glance over to see Cless and Mint walking towards me, holding hands.

"Hey there. How was your dance?"

"It was nice. What about yours?"

"Well, let's just say that she can dance better than she can cook."

"Is she asleep?" Mint asks.

"Definitely. She would've hit me for that if she wasn't. Any idea where we're staying tonight?"

"I'll go ask Lisa-san."

"I'll go with you," Cless offers.

"Thanks. I'll wait here and try to keep this idiot warm," I say, and the couple walks off.

Speaking of, I'm not really doing a good job... she feels pretty cold... Arche...

"After all of this is over, I'll say it out loud... how I really feel... So you better not die on me..." I mutter to the sleeping girl. What am I saying... she's the world's biggest klutz. If there's a way to screw things up, she'll be the first to find it. So...

I have to protect her.

Ah, there's Cless and Mint again. "Hey, what'd you find?" I ask them.

"She said that she has guest rooms prepared for us here. I'll show you the way," Mint offers.

"You don't have to. Just tell me where they are." I shift so I can pick Arche up as we talk. There we go... I stand, carrying her. She's really light... not that I'd ever tell her that.

"I don't mind; I'm a little tired myself..."

"Agreed. After everything that's happened today, I think sleep would do me good as well," Cless says.

"All right then, lead the way." They turn and walk inside; I follow. We exit the ballroom and walk down the large halls. Eventually, the two stop at a set of doors.

"This must be it... Ah, look; there's a note on that door." We walk over—it has Arche's, Mint's, and Martel's names on it. Mint opens the door for me, and I carry the sleeping girl in. There are three beds in here... I walk over to one of them and set Arche down. I pull the covers over her.

"There... Now she'll be warm..." I... kinda wanna...

No... I'll wait. After tomorrow, though...

I turn away and walk out the room. Ah, looks like Cless, Mithos, and I are in the room across the hall. I walk in. Oh, I didn't notice in the girls' room, but it looks like someone delivered all of our stuff to our rooms already. And there's a bathroom... I take my normal clothes and change into them in there.

There, that's a lot more comfortable... I walk back out into the bedroom, and Cless goes to get changed out. I pick a bed and lay down.

It really has been a busy day... but right now, I'm happy... It feels surprisingly good to admit it to myself... And... I know we'll win tomorrow... no matter what...

I'm more tired than I thought...

"Chester, wake up."

"Leave me alone..."

"You guys have to leave, right? You have that 'final battle' to get to."

"Later..."

"Hm... He really _is_ hard to wake up."

"See what we have to put up with? Well, thanks for trying."

They're noisy...

Hm...? What's that smell...? It smells good... like bacon and sausage...

"We brought breakfast."

"Thanks Milard, Mint."

I open my eyes and sit up. "Breakfast...?"

"Of course," Arche says. "After all of that, you wake up for _food_. You're such a glutton."

"Hey, I haven't eaten in a while. I'm starving..." Everyone's in here... including Lisa. The girls pass out the food; I gladly take mine and start eating.

"Thank you. We're usually on our own for breakfast because my dad's so busy..." our hostess says before taking a bite. "Wow, nothing I make tastes _near_ this good!"

"It's really nothing special..." the cleric tells her modestly.

"So I guess you guys are leaving after this?" inquires Mithos.

"Yes. Thank you all for everything you've done for us," Milard says.

"It's not a problem at all. Thank you guys for saving me from that guy. And... for showing me that half-elves are nice. I'm so glad I met all of you..."

"I'm glad as well. It's nice to have so many friends together," Martel says.

"...Yeah, it is!"

I quickly finish up. That was so good... and really filling. The others finish quickly as well.

"Heh, looks like everyone was really hungry," the witch comments.

"Yeah. Everyone full now? It's time to go kick some arrogant asses!" I say as I stand.

"Yeah!"

"Agreed!"

"Let's go!"

Mithos chuckles. "Good luck with your battle."

"Yes, good luck," his sister agrees.

"...Do your best," Kratos says. Yuan looks like he's about to say something, but he decides against it. Heh...

"If I hear that you guys are dead, I'm gonna come beat you up. So you better not lose!" Lisa says.

"Thanks. Good luck to all of you guys as well. Maybe we'll see you again sometime." We say our goodbyes and then leave.

It's pretty bright out... We head outside of the city, and I pull out the Rheairds. Time to get back to the valkyrie sisters... We hop on and set off towards where they're waiting.

There they are... They look up at us and wait as we land near them.

"Are you ready now?" Verdandi asks.

"Yeah."

"Then let's go." The three concentrate, and we soon start warping. We're finally going back to our time... It seems like it's been forever since we left. So much has happened...

And now it's coming to an end.

We land outside of Euclid. Heimdall's here, waiting for us...

"Welcome back," she greets.

"Thanks. Where are they?"

"They've agreed to have final battles with you; they'd like the summon spirits to help with their mana help, after all. They're waiting in the Realm of the Gods."

"How do we get there?"

"I'll show you the way in. Take me to the mountains south of New Midgard." Heimdall walks over and climbs up behind me on my Rheaird, since I'm the one that's alone now...

"Right..." Well now I have a cute goddess behind me... "What about the valkyries?"

"They can fly."

"But you can't? Even though you're a goddess?"

"I was once mortal; my powers are limited. But I _can_ read your mind, so watch what you think," she warns me.

"Keh..." Of _course_ she can... Well, right now I just need to concentrate on beating Fenrir anyway. I'm not gonna die again. I lift off into the air and start flying towards New Midgard; the others follow.

"...It seems that you truly are ready," Heimdall says. "With that amount of confidence in all of you... I know you'll beat them."

"Isn't reading minds an invasion of privacy?"

"Perhaps, but it's extremely useful."

"Keh..." Well, there's the mountains... we land in the opening south of them and hop off the Rheairds; I return them to the wing pack.

"Is this the place?" Dad asks.

"Yes. This is where Sylvarant's Tower of Salvation once stood..." She concentrates. A pillar of light shines down on her from the sky, and a magic circle appears under her feet. It soon spreads, engulfing us all—wow it's bright...! I cover my eyes.

The light then disappears. This must be... the Realm of the Gods...

It's a bright world, with a very blue sky. There are houses and other buildings around, all quite bright... though there's not a person in sight. The road under us, which goes off in four directions from where we're standing, is pure white. At the end of each, past the houses, is a large building.

"Those are our temples," Heimdall says. "Mine is to the south, Odin's to the east, Thor's to the north, and Fenrir's to the west. They're each in their temple, so you may choose who you fight first... However, I suggest you start with Thor; he may have excellent physical strength, but he's not very good at strategy or magic. Odin and Fenrir, on the other hand... you won't win unless you're ready."

"So Thor's warm up, then, huh... Hm. That sounds fine by me," Dhaos says.

"Let's do our best!" my sister cheers.

"We won't lose," Suzu agrees.

"Let's go, then," I tell them.

"The valkyries and I will wait here for you. Good luck, all of you."

"Thanks, Heimdall." We wave to her and head to Thor's temple. It's red in color...

Hm? There's a young valkyrie girl standing outside of one of the houses. She has wild purple hair and looks to be about Ami's age... She looks up at us with curious pink eyes. "Are you... humans...?" she asks.

We stop to talk to her. "Most of us are," Cless answers.

"I've never seen humans before... and male ones at that..."

"We've never seen a valkyrie kid before," I tell her.

"Everyone says that the humans coming are bad... that you're going to challenge the gods... But, you don't seem that bad..."

"Well, we _are_ going to challenge the gods..."

"Does that really make you bad, though...?" she asks, looking down.

"Rota! Either fight or get inside!" We look up at the voice; there's a valkyrie hovering above us.

"Y-yes ma'am..." The child hurries inside, closing the door behind her.

The adult valkyrie scowls. "Cowardly girl..." She then throws a glare at us before flying to Fenrir's temple. Keh... That little girl was nice, unlike some valkyries... Well, I guess that's where all the residents of this place are—at one of these temples... We continue heading to Thor's temple.

Here we are... We walk through the doors. It's huge inside... I mean, I know Thor's a big guy, but this is a little ridiculous... We walk down the big hall; there aren't many doors... He seems to have some places for normal living... like a sitting room and a kitchen. Looks like they're both barely used, though... There's a set of big doors at the end of the hall, on the right. And four valkyries are waiting out in front of it. That must be where he is...

One of the valkyries steps forward. "We will not allow you to challenge any of the gods until you beat us," she says.

"We'll handle this," Dhaos says as he steps forward. The kids also step forward, pulling out their weapons. The rest of us step back; they have the battles in this temple covered. Mint can heal them between battles...

The valkyries pull out their weapons; two have swords, one has a spear, and the last has a bow and arrow. She notches it and takes aim as the other three hurry forward; Suzu meets the two with swords, while Dhaos takes the one with a spear.

"Pow Pow Hammer!" My sister stalls the archer before charging in to fight her; all right, good job, Ami... Now just keep it up...

I guess I'm most worried about her... I'm not participating in her battle, so I can't protect her... and she's only a kid...

"Demon Shadow!" That looks like a combination of Demon Fang-Fist-whatever and... some other move. I don't usually pay attention to that guy.

"Mirror Image!" Suzu creates a double of herself to help her fight the two sword wielders. Heh, that's our ninja. "Flare Blitz!" Both Suzu and her double throw fiery shurikens, which both hit their targets. Even if they're doing exact same moves, Suzu seems to have a handle over what's best in both battles...

Ami knocks the archer out; she then goes to help the ninja. Just in time, too—her double just disappeared.

"Impact!" The spear-user isn't getting up from that...

Okay, just two more—"Omega Storm!"—okay make that one more.

"Dragon Surge!" Ami hits the enemy up in the air.

"Dhaos Laser!" And... she's down.

"Maybe I should've timed you; you made pretty quick work out of that one," I joke. "Wanna race on who can beat their god quickest?"

"Are you sure you want to sign up for a losing battle, Onii-chan?"

"Hey, I wouldn't lose!"

"Chester-kun, we're fighting the hardest battle with two casters and an archer," Milard points out.

"...Okay, okay, forget the race!"

"Let's go, then," Dhaos says to his group. He opens the doors...

The sun shines down on us. This is... a courtyard? No, training grounds. Thor's leaning on his hammer, waiting. "It's about time you showed up. I was getting bored."

"Sorry to keep you waiting," Suzu says as she and the other fighters step forward.

"I'm just fighting you three? Seriously?"

"Don't underestimate us," my kid sister says.

Thor sighs. "Fine, fine... Let's get this over with, then!" Whoa—he creates a ring of lightning around the fighters. Geez... Be careful, Ami, Suzu.

"...Let's go!" The two kids charge forward, as Dhaos stays back and charges up.

"Toss Hammer!" A green hammer hits Thor, but it doesn't seem to bother him at all...

"Ghost Blade!" Whoa, is Suzu going even faster? Thor can't keep up with her—he targets Ami...! He swings his hammer down at her—

"Dreaded Wave!" All right, Dhaos' spell stalled him...! Ami swings her hammer up and hits Thor instead, while the ninja stabs him in the back.

"Heh..." Thor punches Ami...! He then sparks—

"Ami!"

"Suzu-chan...!"

Dhaos rushes in—"Wyrm Rush!" Thor takes the hit, then hits the angel with a hammer swing, knocking him back.

"Soaring Blast...!" my sister jumps in the air and goes to hit him—she won't make it—

Suzu jumps behind the god. "Omega Storm!" All right, that stalled him enough—Ami's attack hits.

"You can't beat me that easily...!" Lightning shoots out from him, hitting all three of the fighters. He warps—he appears behind Suzu first, hitting her with his hammer—then Ami—then Dhaos... He warps back to his starting position—"Divine Lightning Blast!"—and more lightning hits the three...! They fall to their knees—dammit...!

The three stumble to their feet. Dhaos seems to be the worst off...

"Is he... weak to lightning...?" Dad asks.

"...Wait, then why's he fighting the lightning god?" Is he a complete idiot?

"I'm fine!" the angel barks at us. He starts charging up again, as the kids fight Thor.

"Frozen Hammer...!"

"Ice Storm...!" One ice move hits him from above, and the other from below. Nice teamwork...!

"Freeze Lancer...!" And keeping with the ice theme... Thor looks quite annoyed now.

Suzu quickly shifts gears to another attack—"Brutal Earth!"

"Dammit...!" The god swings his hammer into Ami—she—

"Ami...!" She hit the lightning border...! I run over to the other side of it. "Ami..."

"Onii-chan..." She pushes herself up. "I'm fine..."

"Like hell you are! You can't take any more of those hits!"

"I have to help..." She's looking straight at the fight; Suzu and Dhaos are now both in close combat.

"No; you can't anymore! Just stay back and use Pow Hammers or something!"

Ami turns to me with a smile. "I have to fight, too, Onii-chan... Don't worry, I'll be fine!"

"Ami—hey, Ami...!" She runs back into the battle, hammer ready. She gets close and swings at Thor—dammit, stay back...!

The god uses lightning on them again—Suzu jumps out of the way just in time, but the other two are hit. "Ami...!" The ninja jumps on top of him and stabs her dagger into his shoulder before he can hit them. She quickly flips back before he can hit her—all right Suzu...!

"Dhaos Laser...!"

"Havoc Strike!" The two have recovered, though they're both doing bad...

Suzu jumps up and a frog appears under her. "Jiraiya...!" It breathes fire, hurting the god. I... completely forgot she could do that. The frog then disappears—she doesn't have time to move—she gets knocked away by Thor's hammer this time...!

"Suzu!"

Ami goes to attack—Thor shocks her with lightning. He holds his hammer up—"Sorry, kid, but this is your final battle...!"

"AMI...!"

Dhaos' wings appear and he flies—he catches the hammer...?

"Dhaos-san...!"

Lightning sparks from the hammer, hitting the angel—"Ami, Suzu...! Hit him now...!"

"R-right!"

"Ami, summon as many hammers as you can on him!" Suzu says.

"Okay...!" The kids concentrate, as Dhaos holds out to stall Thor. Come on...

Ami holds her hand up. "Hammer Rain!" Wow, that's a lot of hammers...!

Wait, did they just double in size? "Mirror Hammer Rain!" Suzu calls out. Thor gets buried in pow hammers... His hammer falls to the ground, away from Dhaos and Ami. The angel's wings disappear, and he falls.

"Dhaos-san..."

"I'm fine..."

The hammers shift—he comes out—

Suzu rushes forward and cuts straight through him, ending up next to the other two. "...Silent Reaper."

Thor falls and lays on the ground. The lightning barrier falls—is that it...?

"Heh... heh heh..." He's... slowly disappearing... "I guess this is it, then... Well, at least my last battle was a good one... You guys really have become strong..." He glances up at us. "Relax... I'm in no condition to fight now... I'll be gone soon."

"What's happening to you...?" Ami asks.

"I'm disappearing from this world... I'm a being made of mana, and you've destroyed it all..."

"Thor..."

...I step forward. "I have a question. What happened to Macaron...? Tim entrusted her to you, right?"

"Yeah... On my journey to save the world before becoming a god and all, we stopped by a place on the edge of Odin's country... He and Chris had created a base that was well-protected, so we hid her there... until she was later found and released by Fulien K. Lester..."

"Lester...?" Dad speaks up.

"He was a kid trying to become a summoner... He and Macaron... saved this world..."

Aselia sure needs to be saved a lot...

"Well, this is goodbye, then... If you win, then you better... take care of this world..." With that, Thor disappears completely. For a moment, no one says a word...

"...It's time to move on," Cless finally speaks up. "We should fight Odin next."

"Yeah, agreed."

"Hold on, let me heal everyone..." Mint concentrates... "Revitalize...!"

"Thank you, Mint!" my kid sister says with a smile.

"Thank you."

"Thanks."

"Are you three feeling better now?"

"Yep! A lot!"

"All right; let's get moving, then," I say. We start walking; I stay next to Ami. "Hey..." I say quietly to her. "Don't you ever do something stupid like that again."

"It turned out all right. Speaking of..." She looks up at the angel. "Thank you for saving me, Dhaos-san."

"...Yeah... Thanks for saving her..." I don't really like thanking him, but... If Ami had died...

"...You're welcome," he says.

I put a hand on Ami's head and pull her in to a half-hug as we continue walking. She's my only little sister... I can't help but worry about her.

"Onii-chan..." She gives me a hug back. "Thank you..."

**Dhaos gained the title of Lightning Weakness. It's a title given to someone who's weak to lightning.**

**Ami gained the title of Fight to the Finish. Even if I can barely move, I won't give up until we've won!**

**Chester gained the title of Scared Brother. Ami, be careful...!**

**Suzu gained the title of Skilled Team Ninja. With her ninja skills, she can protect others quite well.**

**Ami learned Pow Pow Hammer.**

**Dhaos learned Demon Shadow.**

**Dhaos learned Freeze Lancer.**

**Suzu learned Brutal Earth.**

**Ami learned Hammer Rain.**


	91. Understanding Enemies

**...Wow I've been updating fast this past week. ...I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing.**

**Thank you, Starry-chan and David, for helping me some with this chapter!**

**And the book's title is a reference to a story Starry-chan has planned.**

**...Also, Mint apparently learned Revitalize last chapter instead of this chapter. Whoops. Oh well.**

**Disclaimer: Same as always.**

**--Understanding Enemies--**

We walk out of Thor's temple and head over to Odin's. His is white... Why am I not surprised? There are some valkyries standing outside... they watch us as we approach.

"Let me guess: you wanna fight us, right?" I ask them.

One valkyrie shakes her head. "We've been given orders by Odin-sama not to fight you if you've already defeated Thor-sama..."

"Well, isn't that nice of him..." I say dryly. "Where is he?"

"He's in his library. First door on the left."

He would be... We walk in and take that door. Odin's sitting in a chair with his back to us, reading. This library is _huge_... It's even bigger than the one in his castle 4000 years ago... I don't even know how he reaches the books up high; I don't see a ladder or anything...

"You finished Thor off faster than I anticipated," he speaks up as he flips the page. "I have not finished this book quite yet..."

"Haven't you read every book in Aselia by now? You're over 4000."

"I have. However, you have grown strong enough that there is a chance I may not win. That is why I wished to read this book one last time. If you will allow me to finish it first, I would appreciate it."

Uh... Seriously?

"Ah... Sure," Cless says.

"Have a seat if you wish. I will not be long." We exchange glances, and then the kids and Mint sit down on the couch across from the god.

"What book is that...?" the cleric asks.

"Soul Fire. It has an interesting story. The hero is an annoying coward; however, his sister is quite intriguing... She seems to have a strange form of logic that still baffles me at times."

"You brought that one with you when you were pretending to be a human..." Dad says.

"Aa. As well as a few research books and books from the Tales series." He turns the page again. Looks like he's on the last page now... We wait in silence for him to finish.

Odin finally closes the book and stands. "Nurse..." The nurse fairies appear and take his book—they put it in a spot high up on the shelves. They then disappear. That's...

"Isn't that... a healing move...?" Cless asks for me.

"Aa. However, I have found many other applications for it." He glances at us, and then turns and starts walking out of the library. "Come; we shall fight elsewhere." He takes us to the end of the hall, where we enter a large room... It's empty except for the Eternal Sword, which is hanging on the wall. He walks towards it. "This is your prize, should you win against me." He then turns to us. "Step forward Cless, Klarth, Mint; you three are the ones fighting me, correct?"

They exchange glances and then step forward. "Yes... How did you know that?" Cless asks.

"Considering both emotional motives and effective party combinations, that was the most logical outcome." He creates an arena of fire around them and summons the Gungnir. "Are you ready to fight?"

They pull their weapons out and get in fighting stance. "...Yes."

"You may have the first move."

Cless tightens his grip on his sword and pauses a moment. He then charges forward—Odin easily blocks with his spear. The other two start charging up.

Odin kicks Cless back—he then flares, hitting the casters. Keh... He quickly charges at the swordsman again as the others resume charging; the fighters exchange blows, neither hitting each other—Odin spins his spear, hitting Cless first with the blunt side and then with the sharp side... He then holds his hand up and shoots fire at the other two...!

"Cless-san!"

"Klarth!"

"Mint!"

He wraps fire around Mint—"Mint...!" Cless looks over at her, worried—Odin takes that time to attack Cless again—he stabs Cless in the side...!

"Cless!"

Cless strikes at Odin—he summons a dagger to block before pulling his spear out. Dammit, they can't even hit this guy...!

"I summon thee, disciple of everlasting ice..."

Odin turns his attention to Dad—"Distortion Blade!" Odin shifts back and blocks Cless' attack just in time—

"Come, Celsius...!" All right...! Celsius appears next to Odin—she throws some punches at him, which he dodges... She then holds her hands out and creates a pillar of ice that shoots out under him—he falls back, hit...! Celsius then disappears.

Odin quickly recovers just in time to block Cless' next attack... Keh...

"Revital—" Fire shoots up under Mint, stopping her spell.

"Leave Mint alone...! Lightning Swallow Kick...!" All right, he hits Odin! Though it doesn't seem to do much...

Odin quickly blocks Cless' attack—wait, he's gathering up fire... The swordsman strikes—it's too late...! Fire explodes away from him, creating balls of fire all around the field—he then hits Cless with his fiery spear, spinning it around a few times—"Brilliant Fulmination...!" The fire explodes—Cless flies back—

"Cless!" It hit Dad and Mint, too...!

Odin pauses a moment, staring at the three. He turns his attention to Mint, who quickly starts charging up again. He advances on her, gathering fire in his hand—

"Lunge...!" Cless warps forward, slashing at a surprised Odin—he hits...! He then returns to his starting position, back on his feet. He looks pretty terrible, though...

"Revitalize...!" All right, now they're all looking a lot better...!

Cless charges back in and fights Odin up close—he quickly blocks Cless' attack... He then flips his spear around, hitting Cless' hand—he loses the sword...! Odin kicks it back, out of the ring of fire, and then blasts fire at Cless, throwing him back...

"I summon thee—"

Odin charges at Dad and stabs him—that was... "Dad!"

"Klarth!"

Dad falls—dammit, he can't take that kind of hit...! A summoning circle appears under him—but wait, he didn't finish...

"Origin...!" He calls out—the spirit appears...!

"How dare you..." Origin creates a ring of energy around Odin, which shoots in, hitting him—he then stabs Odin with his spears and disappears. Odin stumbles back, hurting.

"Nurse...!" Wait, what are Mint's fairies—she's copying from Odin...! They grab the Eternal Sword and toss it to Cless—he catches it and quickly unsheathes it. He charges in—Odin blocks just in time. They strike back and forth, blocking each other's blows—

"Demonic Sword Rain...!" Cless stalls the god with Demon Fang and then finishes up with a bunch of stabs. All right...!

Odin staggers—he falls, his fire barrier falling with him. He's disappearing...

"It seems that you have won..." he says.

"Why did you put the Eternal Sword in here?" Cless asks as Mint quickly heals the group. "You could've put it anywhere else..."

Odin isn't answering...

"...You were attacking Mint on purpose—you knew I'd fight harder if she was in danger. Why did you do this? We're against you..."

"All I ever wanted... was to die..."

"But you've continued to live so long..." Mint speaks up. "Why now...?"

"...I cannot leave this world unprotected... That is why... when Fenrir started this, Heimdall chose you to fight us... and why she wanted you to become strong enough to protect this world..."

"But you continued to work with Fenrir..."

"...I worked with both of them... so I could decide which way was best..."

"You decided that you'd rather our method, though... That's why you set things up so we could win..." Dad speaks up.

"...Aa... I have already told the valkyries not to hurt you should you protect this world... However, if you do not... they will hunt you..."

"So you haven't left everything in our hands..."

"I suppose I have not..." He pauses... He's almost gone now... "...Take care of this world..."

"We will," Cless promises. "Now... you should see Chris and Hope. They're waiting for you."

"...Yes... I am sure they are..." He smiles—a real smile... "Farewell, Aselia..." He disappears completely...

"Odin..." We stand in silence for a moment. He really cared about this world... He could've helped us... But I guess he was, in his own way. With him as a threat, we had to push to become stronger...

"...Come on," I tell the others. "We have to fight Fenrir now." I glance at Dad. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah; Mint healed me. I'm really getting too old for this..."

"Klarth..." Milard's by his side. She holds his hand, worried.

"I'm fine, Milard. Really. Now you need to concentrate on beating Fenrir..."

"...I know." She lets go of his hand and turns to us. "Which fighter will be joining us? I think Dhaos is out—those lightning attacks weren't good for you at all."

"Ami's also out, after that stunt she pulled," I speak up.

"But Onii-chan!"

"I agree with Chester-kun," Milard says. "That beating was a lot for you to take... You need to rest." My kid sister pouts.

"I have the Eternal Sword now," the swordsman points out. "I'll fight with you."

"That sounds like a good idea. Let's go, then." With that decided, we turn and start walking towards the exit of this temple.

**Klarth gained the title of Overlimit Summoner. It's a title given to one who summons even after being hit.**

**Mint gained the title of Improvised Healing. Nurse can be used for more than just healing.**

**Cless gained the title of Eternal Sword Wielder. No one can stop me once I have the Eternal Sword in my hands.**

**Chester gained the title of Understanding Enemies. I guess you were really helping us save this world...**

**Cless learned Lightning Swallow Kick.**

**Obtained the Eternal Sword.**


	92. Old Friend

**This one was kinda harder to write. T.T' I'm too close to the end... But still, it was a fun chapter. Thank you, Hina-chan, for the Graces songs; listening to Unspoken Feelings as I wrote the end of this chapter was perfect~**

**Erm, anyway. I gave Milard that new arte on a whim, but it's a completely awesome arte. I'm so glad I got to include it. And thank you again to David for helping me with the hi-ougi name!**

**So, enjoy this chapter! At least two chapters left!**

**Disclaimer: Same as always.**

**--Old Friend--**

Finally, we're headed to Fenrir's temple... That one's black. We walk in. It's freezing in here... The walls are covered in ice, and the floor as well in some places. We carefully walk through it, looking for Fenrir.

We open a door at the end of the hall—snow comes through. It's a large room, full of snow...

"Heehee..." That voice... It's... "Welcome, Chester. It's been a while, hasn't it?" That's...! Eight-year-old Merilynn is standing there...!

Keh... Arche, Cless, Milard, and I step forward. "Sorry, but we have no time for games. You're finished—Odin and Thor are dead, and we have the Eternal Sword back."

"Why are you fighting me...? I'm trying to protect this world—your world..."

"Doing it at the cost of another world isn't right! There are people living there, too!" Arche chimes in.

"If you continue this, Yggdrasil will drain your power as well... and then use it to kill all humans," I tell her. "You're not saving anyone."

"I'm not trying to save humans. I'm trying to save this world... Even if people die, it doesn't matter; life will continue. But if Yggdrasil dies, so will everything else."

"I don't agree with that one bit. There's no reason why people have to die—people can change."

"Change...? Look at this world. You've seen the past... nothing's changed. Everyone continues to go back to the same mistakes... War, magitech, racism... It all repeats over and over again..."

"Even if people do those things... there's something they all carry in them—hope," Arche says. "There are always people striving for peace... and other people can listen to that hope and accept them. But if Yggdrasil destroys everything, then there's not even a chance to make things right!"

"People have shown time and again that they can understand each other and love, despite their differences," Cless adds.

"Not only that, once people are aware of the dangers of magitech, people will want to stop that technology," Milard speaks up. "It'll be a shame for researchers... but it's not the end of the world. We can find other methods."

"I don't care..." Snowballs rise up around her... "I don't care what happens to the people of this world! My job is to protect that Yggdrasil... and I won't give up...!" The balls shoot at us—whoa...! I move out of the way just in time; looks like the others dodged as well. Cless charges forward to take her in close combat, while I notch an arrow and take aim.

A snowball's coming this way—"Piercing Line!" It's still coming—I hold my arm up—ah...! It froze my arm...! I glance at Cless—he's starting to freeze completely...!

"Cless-san!"

Keh... It's hard to move like this, but I can't give up now...! I grab another arrow and notch it. A snowball's going at Arche—I shoot at it—"Hell Pyre!" All right, that melted it...!

"Thanks!" Arche finishes her spell. "Meteor Storm...!" Fiery meteors shoot down all around us—they burn up the snowballs as well.

"Recover...!" Milard uses it on Cless—he quickly takes that moment to slash Fenrir.

"Ah...!" She falls back, but she doesn't look to be that hurt... Keh. I notch another arrow and take aim. She creates a small blizzard around herself, making the swordsman back away. As soon as it clears—whoa...! Ice shards now? Dammit, I missed—ow, and got hit...

"Rising Phoenix...!" Cless hits her with a fiery attack.

My turn... I notch another arrow and take aim. "Hell Pyre!"

"Power Seal...!"

Cless hits her again and I shoot—both hits got her!

"Leave me alone...!" Snow and ice explodes out from her, throwing Cless back—ahh, that hurts...!

My legs—they're frozen...! Milard and Cless are in the same position—but not Arche...

Keh... Even if my legs are frozen, I can still fight! I notch another arrow and quickly aim. "Spectrum Arrow!"

"Demon Fang!"

"Explode...!" Arche hits her with another fire move. Fenrir looks quite annoyed now—she blasts more ice at us.

I take aim again. "Eagle Shot!"

"Lunge...!" Cless breaks out of his ice with that move and hits her. All right, we've got this...!

"Nightingale...!" Milard heals all of us a little.

"Chester, Giga Fang!" Arche calls out.

"Right!" I take aim, and my arrow grows bigger as I concentrate—

"Tractor Fang!" I shoot as Arche raises the goddess up in the air. She yells out in pain and falls to the ground. She's still on her feet, but she's really hurting...

Was that it...? This seemed easier than the battle against Odin, though... No, it's not—this feeling...

"You..." She shifts to her adult form. "Don't think you can beat me that easily..." She smirks and glances at me. "Why don't you help me, Chester...? You're a member of my pack, after all..."

No... I feel—I can't... I can't lose control...! My head—dammit...! I'm falling—

"Chester!" Arche... "Chester, you can control this... You're stronger than her."

She's hugging me... Heh, thanks, Arche. Well, I'm a wolf now, and doesn't feel like I can change back... Fenrir's also a wolf—looks like I'll just have to fight her like this! I give Arche a nudge to let her know that I'm all right now. I then turn to Fenrir. "There's no way I'm going to lose control now! It doesn't matter what I am—these are my friends, and they won't abandon me."

Fenrir looks annoyed. "Fine... If you won't join me, then I'll make sure you don't leave here alive...!" She charges at me—I jump back out of the way and slash—dammit she's fast...!

"Don't let her bite you!" Milard warns the others.

"Right!" Cless charges forward to help me—"Beast Swallow Kick!" She's thrown back, but she quickly regains her footing and charges at Cless—

I jump in the way—she bites me instead. Ow that hurts...

"Chester!"

I scratch her, and she jumps back, growling.

"Earthquake...!"

"Banishing Sorrow!"

The casters both hit her. Cless charges forward—"Chaos Bla—"

Fenrir howls, and waves come out from her, knocking Cless back—I hold my ground, though this water kinda hurts...

The water stays on the ground, instead of clearing away like a normal spell... Ack, she's coming—ow...! I can't move quickly in this much water, but it doesn't seem to affect her at all...

"Demonic Tiger Blade!"

Thanks, Cless! I jump away from Fenrir.

"Nightingale!" Okay, I feel a little better now... I charge at the goddess while she's distracted and ram right into her—she falls into the water.

Ah...! I just got stabbed by an ice shard...!

"Onii-chan!"

Fenrir jumps up and rams me—ow...!

"Leave him alone...! Explode...!" Arche's attack sends the other wolf flying. Thanks, Arche...

The water level is sinking... Wait, it's absorbing into Fenrir... She changes back to her human form—that pressure on me's gone now; I change back as well.

"I... I won't lose...! I can't lose...!" She's glowing blue now—a blast of cold air hits us. Geez that's freezing...

Keh... "You're wrong... We're gonna defeat you once and for all!" I quickly notch an arrow and take aim—I shoot—she's gotten even faster...!

She quickly stabs Cless—"Cless!" She then turns and throws ice at the casters—dammit...! I notch another arrow—she moves behind Cless. Keh, I really don't like her...! The two fight up close, though she's dodging most of his hits...

Okay, I need to find an opening... I have to hit her while she's distracted...

Or maybe... I close my eyes and concentrate. I can hit her... I open my eyes—"Here we go! Fox Eyes!" I release the arrow—it bends around Cless and—Fenrir jumps back, but it follows her, hitting her in the heart. All right...!

She pulls the arrow out, glaring at me. But that's no doubt given enough time for—

"Nightingale!"

"Meteor Storm!"

There we go... A heal and a good attack. Cless charges in as soon as the meteors clear out—"Light Spear!"

"Ugh... You...!" A small blizzard blasts away from her—ow...! I'm getting hit with a lot of icicles—wait, I'm turning into ice...! I can't... ugh... "Flash Freeze!" It shatters—ah... I can't even stand now... I feel numb all over... Dammit, Fenrir...!

She's charging at Arche—I have to—I grab an arrow and quickly notch it—"Fox Eyes!" All right, that stalled her...!

"Nightingale!" That feels better. Cless uses a Demon Fang and charges in, while I notch another arrow and shoot.

"Black Hole...!" Arche's spell hits Fenrir—

I quickly charge my arrow with dark energy—"Moonlight!"

"Do that again! Quickly!" Arche calls.

"Right—ah...!" Keh, Fenrir hit us with more water...! She charges at Cless—she quickly stabs him with her dagger and then kicks him back—she then shoots ice at Milard...!

Okay, I need to distract Fenrir first; I take aim—"Dragon Slayer!"

Cless recovers—"Distortion Blade!"

"Chester, now!"

"Right!" I notch an arrow and take aim, charging it with darkness...

"Dark Hole!" The arrow and black hole hit at the same time, hurting her. Fenrir yells out in pain before falling to her knees... and then to the ground.

Is... that finally it...?

"I... lost..." She says as she starts vanishing.

"Fenrir... It's time for the people of this world to take their fate in their own hands. We can't have four-thousand year old gods deciding everything for us."

"What... will you do now...?"

"...Martel once told us... to listen to that 'child'... to Yggdrasil."

"You really think that can help at this point...? Humans have hurt him far too much..."

"Even if humans have hurt him a lot... there are still people like us that want to help him."

"I don't know if you can... Yggdrasil is lonely and hurting... And now that we're gone... We were the only people left who knew the spirit inside him at all..." Fenrir sighs. "Well... I guess it's not something I need to worry about anymore... The future... is in your hands..."

"...Yeah, I know. We'll take care of this world... no matter what."

"You better..."

She's almost gone... "Hey, Fenrir..." I speak up.

"Yeah...?"

"...The girl named Merilynn was once my friend. Next time we meet, I want to see her again..."

"...Haha... Yeah... you will..." she replies. "Thank you..." She disappears completely.

...I turn to the others. "Looks like that's it. Let's go see Heimdall."

**Arche gained the title of World of Hope. As long as people carry hope in them, we can keep moving past our differences.**

**Milard gained the title of Scientific Future. Even if there's no magitech, we can still find other methods.**

**Chester gained the title of Old Friend. Maybe one day I'll meet that friend again...**

**Arche learned Meteor Storm.**

**Milard learned Nightingale.**

**Chester learned Fox Eyes.**

**Arche learned Black Hole.**


	93. Yggdrasil's Chosen

**Well, just the epilogue left... and that may be a bonus chapter. So, enjoy this chapter! I should be able to post up the epilogue tomorrow! Along with a little something special. Or two something specials.**

**Disclaimer: Same as always.**

**--Yggdrasil's Chosen--**

Mint and Milard heal us up, then we head out to the remaining goddess... She's still waiting for us by the entrance with those three valkyries.

"Welcome back. Congratulations on defeating the others."

"Thanks. Now what will you do?" I ask.

"...I will seal the Eternal Sword. With that gone, humans won't be able to overpower each other in the future," she explains. "But first... You have to visit Cathy, don't you?"

"Yes. I need to return Mieu to her, and..."

"...There's nothing you can do for Sardon. If you try to find him, you'll only get lost as well."

Keh...

"Here." Heimdall holds up—wait, that's Sardon's communication book...! "I was able to recover this for you..."

Dad takes it. "...Thank you. We can give this to Cathy... We won't be able to visit her again, but at least we can keep her company."

"Yeah... But what about Sardon...? We can't just leave him there..."

"You may be able to find him in the future," Skuld speaks up. "There are two people you may meet... one of them should be able to help you find him."

"Who...?"

"One is a man who drowns in the lost pains of others... And the other, a being of four species."

'The lost pain of others'? 'A being of four species'? Geez... "Could you be any more cryptic?" I ask the valkyrie.

"Seeing the future isn't an exact science. You should be lucky I found out that much," she replies curtly.

We exchange glances. Well, it is a lead... "Yeah... thanks. We'll look for those people."

"For now, we should see Cathy-san," Mint says.

"Agreed."

Heimdall nods. "I knew you'd want to. I'll be waiting for you by Yggdrasil, then."

"...Right." We turn to Cless, who holds up the Eternal Sword. "Eternal Sword, take us to Euclid, year 4304." And it warps us. It's late, so the streets are empty... We walk towards Cathy's house and knock on the door.

She answers. "Everyone... Where's Sardon...?"

"...He's trapped... We can't get to him," Dad answers. He hands Cathy the communication book. "Here..."

"Ah..." She takes it and hugs it close. She's... crying... "Sardon..."

"Cathy-san... All hope isn't lost yet," my sister speaks up. "We can still find him... There are two people who can help us."

"Yeah... We'll definitely bring him home," Cless says.

"Is that so...?" She wipes her eyes. "Thank you..."

"Cathy, we'll keep our book. We won't be able to come back here for a while... but we can still communicate with you using that," Dad tells her. "We'll let you know as soon as we find something."

"And you can talk to us any time you need," Milard adds.

"Thank you..."

A summoning circle appears under Dad. "...Mieu." The little creature comes out. Dad takes off the ring and hands it to Cathy. He then looks down at the thing. "Mieu, take care of Cathy."

"I will! You can count on me!" he says. He bounces over to her, and she picks him up.

"Did you defeat the gods...?" Cathy asks us.

"Yes. Heimdall's going to seal the Eternal Sword, and we're going to do what we can to help Yggdrasil next," the summoner explains.

Cathy nods. "Congratulations... You should return home, then. I'll be sure to keep in touch with you."

"We'll bring Sardon back..."

"...I know. So..."

"Yes... We'll see you later," Cless says. He holds up the Eternal Sword and warps us back to the present, to Yggdrasil...

Heimdall's already here, waiting for us. She's alone this time...

"Did you do what you needed?" she asks.

"Yes." The swordsman hands his sword to Heimdall. "Here..."

"Thank you." She closes her eyes a minute. "...For everything. This world... is in your hands now." She opens her eyes. She holds the Eternal Sword towards her—she stabbed herself...!

"Heimdall!"

It activates, and both Heimdall and the sword begin to disappear. "It's all right... I've lived more than long enough. With me gone as well, there'll be no more gods to decide the fate of this world. So... good luck, heroes of Aselia..." They both vanish completely... The gods are gone...

_"Heimdall...?"_ That voice... Who... _"No... They're all gone..."_ There's no one...

Wait... that's... "Yggdrasil?"

_"You... you killed them..."_ The tree's glowing... _"I'm... I'm going to destroy you...!"_ A blast of mana comes at us—ah...! It threw us back...

I push myself up. "Hey, Yggdrasil—listen to us!"

A ball of mana forms in front of the tree; the ground shakes—

"He's not going to listen! We'll have to fight him first!" Arche calls out.

Cless doesn't have a sword now... "Cless, stay back! The rest of us will handle this!"

"But..."

Huh? There's someone... Hey, it's that little valkyrie girl! She's holding the sword that Ifalde gave Cless... "Mister, you dropped this..." She says as she floats down to Cless.

"Thank you!"

"All right, now we're all ready to fight," I speak up. "Let's go!" The fighters charge towards the ball of mana, as a violent wind tears around us. I notch an arrow and take aim—as soon as this wind stops—now! "Gale Shot!" I quickly notch another arrow—Yggdrasil's ball is moving around some—"Wild Rain!" Got it...!

Fire rains down all around us—it hits some of the casters—

"Enhance Cast!" Milard calls out right before getting hit.

"Stardust Cross!" my kid sister calls out as she throws something up—toy-like stars hit the ball of mana.

I shoot at it again—"Dragon Slayer!"

A wave of water hits us all. Keh... His magic's fast and strong, but... He can't beat all of us...!

"Holy Song!"

"Chaos Blade!"

"Dhaos Laser!"

All right, Yggdrasil can't take much more... I continue shooting at it—

"Ill Wind!" Suzu hits it with blades of wind from her daggers.

"Extension...!" Arche hits it with a new strong spell.

"Come! Luna!"

All right... this is it. I take aim—"Spectrum Arrow!"

_"Ah...!"_ The ball of mana fades back into the tree. _"You..."_

We can't kill Yggdrasil... but maybe... I walk up to the tree and put a hand on it. "Hey, Yggdrasil... that's enough. Killing everyone won't help you... it'll just make things worse."

_"Everyone hurts me..."_

"...That may be, but... That isn't what you really want..." I think... I understand... The reason he attacked us was because... "...You're lonely, aren't you?"

_"Lonely...? There's lots of life around here... I prefer these creatures over humans..."_

"Humans can understand you. The gods were once human, weren't they?" He pauses, so I continue. "I think that before you try to punish everything, you need to learn more about the people of this world."

_"How...? People don't care about me..."_

"Funny... You're looking at nine who do." Geez... "Look, I'm not one for all this sappy-stuff, but... We'll help you. We'll be your friends."

_"Friends...? ...I don't understand, but... I... I want to try..."_

"All right, then. We're gonna try and stop this magitech stuff so you can recover... so no destroying-all-humans stuff, okay?"

_"...Only if... I can watch you..."_

Eh...? "Watch me? How would you do that?" Yggdrasil glows—whoa, the glow transfers over to me... "Yggdrasil?"

_"I'll stay with you, so you better show me that humans are worth keeping alive,"_ Yggdrasil says. His voice... it's in my head now... _"If they aren't, then..."_

"...Yeah, I know." I turn to the others. "Well, Yggdrasil's decided to watch what we do from inside me I guess. So... what next?"

"I can talk to my father about magitechnology," Mint says.

"I'll go with you," the swordsman offers. "Maybe I can help reform the knights."

"I'd like to talk to the researchers myself. I'd like to find other ways to create the same technology," Dad says. "And maybe they can also help me find those people..."

"I agree. I'm sure there are many new possibilities we can find," Milard adds.

"I need to talk to the elves. Maybe they can accept half elves one day," Arche says.

"I may be able to help you there," the ninja speaks up.

"Looks like we're going all over the place... I don't really have anything specific I need to do, so I'll help wherever it's needed," I offer.

"Same here," says my sister.

Dhaos is the only one left; we glance at him. "...I suppose it's time for me to return home."

"How will you get there?" Cless asks.

"I have one warp left."

"Will we see you again...?" questions Ami.

"It's unlikely."

"No... I think it's quite likely. It might be best for Aselia to learn more about Derris-Kharlan," the princess speaks up.

"Hm... Yes, I suppose so. Then perhaps one day, there'll be a way to pass between worlds."

"Then we'll see you again," the swordsman says. "Until then, take care."

"You as well. Now..."

"Wait!" my kid sister calls out; she then hurries over to the pack, which is sitting on the ground next to Milard. She reaches in it and... pulls out that doll she's been working on. It looks like a weird orange creature... She walks over to Dhaos and holds it out to him. Keh... "Thank you... for all of your help. Please take this, at least as a promise that we'll meet again someday."

Dhaos pauses, considering. He ends up taking the doll. "...Very well. I suppose I'll see you all again."

"Yeah. See you later," Cless says.

"See you later, Dhaos-san!"

A warp activates under him—we step back. A beam of red light shoots up—and he disappears with it.

Well, now it's officially all over... I turn to the others. "Come on, let's go home."

**Chester received the title of Yggdrasil's Chosen. I'll show you that people aren't as bad as you think, Yggdrasil.**

**Milard learned Enhance Cast.**

**Ami learned Stardust Cross.**

**Suzu learned Ill Wind.**

**Arche learned Extension.**


	94. Friend of Heroes

**Well, this is the end of Teishi ni Hikkakamasu.**

**However, it's not the end of everything. They still have to save Sardon, after all! I'm working on the sequel to this story next, Syukuzen no Teishi. The prologue's already posted up, so enjoy! (And the other 'something special' will be posted up on the end of TnH in just a minute)**

**(Gahh, this site won't save my little section breaks, so sorry for the big annoying ones)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Tales series. It's owned by Namco Bandai.**

**--Bonus Chapter: Friend of Heroes--**

"Rota! There you are!" the valkyries call out as their young companion returns. "Where have you been?"

"I returned a sword to that swordsman..."

"Those people killed the gods."

"Odin-sama said that we should help those people save the world..." Rota points out. "Besides... they're Yggdrasil's friends now."

"What happened...?"

"We'll tell you everything," Verdandi speaks up as she and her sisters walk over. "It's time to create a new order... Gather everyone up, and let's meet in the assembly room."

* * *

"Welcome back, Dhaos," a man greets. He's an elder man with dark brown hair. He's standing in front of the Giant Kharlan Tree, which, although not in the best condition, has some new leaves growing.

"Thank you. How's the tree?" Dhaos walks over and looks up at it. By now, he's tucked the doll Ami gave him under his robes so no one could see it.

"It's recovering. A teenager healed it... a boy by the name of Maliott."

"Maliott...?"

"Yes... Do you know him?"

"...No. Where is he now?"

"He's resting... He kept healing the tree until he fell unconscious." After a moment, the man continued, "That aside... how was your trip?"

Dhaos pauses a moment, considering how to answer that question. "...It was interesting. We may hear more from the Aselians in the future..."

"Really? Well, I'll be sure to welcome them. Is there anything else I should know?"

"Not for now." Dhaos turns and starts walking away. "I need to return home. I'll no doubt hear from you later."

"Of course. Rest well."

* * *

Suzu walks into the ninja village, where she soon sees her sister. "Suzu...!" Sheena runs over. "There you are! Where have you been?"

"...I have a lot to tell you and the chief. And... I've gathered all of the Devil's Arms."

"R-really? So that means we can destroy them, right?"

"I'm not sure. But as long as we have them, they're safe from others."

"Yeah, definitely. So what else is going on?"

"We also made a promise to help Yggdrasil. To do that, we need to get rid of magitechnology. Mint is talking to her father now... Perhaps we can help once the king's taken action."

* * *

"...and if we power it with electricity, then maybe..."

"Electricity? We'd need Volt to do that," a scientist points out.

"Well, luckily for you, you're looking at the one who has a pact with Volt. I'm the genius summoner, Klarth F. Lester!" Klarth boasts; Milard holds her head in embarrassment.

"Wow, really? Do you have any of the others?"

"I have all of the elemental summons plus a few more."

"Still, that won't help forever," Milard points out. "We'll need a way to get the same amount of energy without any magic..."

"Hm... We'll have to think about that. Maybe even remake everything completely. It'll be hard for the general population to give up the magitech they're using, though..."

"It'll be a slow process, but I'm sure it can be done," Klarth says. "I once met a man who made an artificial summon spirit. If life like that can be made by science, then so can energy."

"Well, when you put it like that..." one scientist says.

"Heh... It may not have any magic in it, but... I'm getting excited about this already!" comments another.

"Let's get working on this, then. We haven't worked from scratch in way too long," a third suggests. The other scientists agree, and they quickly get to work.

* * *

Mint enters the castle, only to find that the king's not in the throne room. The princess walks over to a guard. "Where's my father...?"

"Ah, Princess! Welcome back. He's in bed... he's not feeling very well. A healer named Meryl is tending to him."

_Meryl...?_ Mint thinks. _That's... my real mother, isn't it...?_ "Thank you," she says politely before heading to his room. They enter a large set of doors, where they find the blonde healer caring to the sleeping king.

"Ah... Hello."

Mint walks up to her, feeling a little nervous. "Hello. You're... Meryl Adnade, correct?"

"...Mint..."

"Mother...!" Mint runs over and hugs the woman.

Meryl hugs her daughter back. "Mint... The king's very sick, so it looks like I'll be staying here for a while... During that time... I hope to get to know you better."

"Yes... I want that, too..."

* * *

Cless and Ami return to Miguel to await news from Mint on what the king says. They go to Cless' house, where his parents happily greet both of them. "Cless! Ami! You two are all right!" Maria hurries over and hugs her son, while her husband stands behind her.

"Yes. We're home," Cless says.

Maria lets go of Cless. "Where's Chester?"

"He's with Arche right now. He'll be back soon."

"Mind if I stay here until he or Dad gets back?"

"'Dad'...?"

"Yep! Onii-chan and I have been adopted. You have to meet our father—he's a lot of fun."

"So are you two home for good...?"

"Not quite," Cless says. "I'm going to go to the castle later and help reform the knights."

"What about you, Ami?" Maria asks.

"I don't know... there's not really much I can do..."

"I'm sure there's a lot you can do," Miguel speaks up. "And whatever you two decide... we'll help you in any way we can."

"Thank you, Dad."

"Thank you, Mr. Alvein!"

"For now... You two should rest. You can tell us all about your adventure over dinner."

"Yay, thank you!"

"That sounds good. Thank you."

* * *

"It's bright out, isn't it...?" Arche says.

"Yeah, it is," answers Chester. "It's a nice day..."

_"Don't you have things you should be doing?"_ Yggdrasil questions, though only Chester can hear him.

"We can't do everything at once. We have to take things slowly."

Arche glances at Chester and then giggles. "Yggdrasil?"

"Yeah... Geez this is weird. Now I know how Dad feels with all of those summons..."

"Heheh... Don't worry, Yggdrasil; we definitely won't give up! We love this world too much for that!"

_"Love...? What's that...?"_

Chester chuckles. "You really are a kid, aren't you..."

_"H-hey, I'm not a kid...!"_

"What'd he say?"

"He doesn't know what love is."

Arche laughs now. "Haha, I see! Speaking about love..."

"Hm... Was there something important about love...?"

"Chester!" Arche pokes him in the side, which makes him laugh.

"I'm joking, I'm joking." He looks down at Arche. _Love isn't something I can really teach you, Yggdrasil... It's a special feeling... And for me..._ "...I..."

"Yes~?"

"...Hold on, let me try this again..."

"Oh come on! Is it really that hard?"

"If you know already, then why do I have to say it?"

"Because it's romantic!"

"Who cares about romantic—ow!" Arche stomped on his foot.

"Of all people..."

"Okay, okay, geez..." Chester gives in. "...I love you." Chester leans down and kisses Arche on the lips.

* * *

Aselia and Derris-Kharlan are safe now... The Heroes of Eternity traveled through time, all the way back ten thousand years, and saved the people of both this world and another. It may take time, but they'll continue to help this world in any way they can. I know they can... After all, they're my friends.

Chester, Klarth-san, everyone... I'll be waiting for you. Until we meet again...

Take care.

**Everyone gained the title of Hero of Eternity. It's a title given to the nine people who saved two worlds by traveling through space and time.**

**Sardon gained the title of Friend of Heroes. I know you'll continue to protect this world, no matter what.**


	95. Credits

**--Credits--**

**Thank you, everyone, for reading Teishi ni Hikkakamasu! It's been three long years, but writing this has been quite fun. Thank you all for your support! It's helped me a lot. I've never finished even a 100 page story before, much less a 700+ page story, so this story is quite special to me. And I don't think I would've been able to finish if it wasn't for all the support!**

**I would also like to give a special thanks to people who helped outside of this (even though some of them don't read the story). So...**

**Special thanks to my RP group for putting up with my crazy ideas and helping me develop the characters and world better through RPs.**

**Special thanks as well to Midnight Hearts, my group of friends during this time, who helped me through the various problems I had.**

**And, since today happens to be May 20th... Happy birthday, Hina-chan! I hope you enjoyed the ending!**

**Finally, here are titles for me, my reviewers, and my betas (I hope I got everyone... If I missed you, let me know, and I'll give you a title and add it to this):**

**Ayame received the title of Finished Adventure Author. It's a title given to one who finished an adventure story.**

**Starry-chan received the title of Supportive First Reviewer. It's a title given to not only the first one to review Teishi ni Hikkakamasu, but also someone who has helped out a lot with the story and characters.**

**Xantos received the title of TnH First Beta. It is a title given to the first beta of Teishi ni Hikkakamasu.**

**David received the title of TnH Main Beta. It is a title given to the one who beta'ed most of Teishi ni Hikkakamasu.**

**Darkangel-san received the title of Intrigued Reviewer. It is a title given to one who is curious about what will happen in the future of the story and tries to figure out the mysteries of it.**

**Sweet Tsubaki-san received the title of Skilled Reviewer. It is a title given to one who not only reviews quite well in a language that is not their native, but also figures out some mysteries early on.**

**Miyu-san received the title of Personable Reviewer. It is a title given to a reviewer that is very friendly and personable in her reviews.**

**Miyu-san's brother received the title of Blackmail Reviewer. It is a title given to one who reviews a chapter to tell what happened to his sister and to thank me for giving him blackmail material.**

**Nightshade X-san received the title of Concrit Reviewer. It is a title given to a reviewer who helps by looking at the readability and characterization in the story.**

**Frostneko-san received the title of Sympathetic Reviewer. It is a title given to one who tries to understand the mechanics behind the story, both inside and outside of it.**

**Shadw-san received the title of Creative Reviewer. It is a title given to a reviewer who comes up with good ideas.**

**MooooMoooo-san received the title of Psychological Reviewer. It is a title given to one who really gets in-tune with the characters in the story.**

**Fishy-san received the title of One-time Helper. It is a title given to one who reviews once, but offers thoughts on the story thus far and help with technical matters.**

**Ashley received the title of Awesome Friend Reviewer. I know you didn't read my story, but thanks for reviewing anyway when I was sick and waiting.**

**Reiko-san and Dark-san received the title of Double Duty Reviewer. It is a title given to one who reviews with her dark half, bringing a new outlook on things.**

**CO Raven-san received the title of Humored Reviewer. It is a title given to one who really liked the humor aspect of Teishi ni Hikkakamasu.**

**Prosser-san received the title of Random Motivator. It is a title given to one who seems to review Teishi ni Hikkakamasu at random, yet encouraging, times.**

**Sherra-san received the title of Tales Knowledge Reviewer. It is a title given to one who figures things out and draws on her knowledge of the Tales games to wonder further possibilities.**

**JapanManiac-san received the title of Timely Reviewer. It is a title given to one who not only reviews quickly, but also tries to keep up with the complicated timeline throughout the story.**

**TalezCrazy-san received the title of Friendly Reader Brigadier. It is a title given to a kind person who reads Teishi ni Hikkakamasu and then met me on the Tales Brigade.**

**Midnight Feathers-san received the title of 100th Interested Reviewer. It is a title given to the one who not only gave the 100th review, but is also very interested in the concepts and mysteries of the story.**

**LaZyEnErGeTiC-san received the title of Dedicated Reader. It is a title given to a person who reads sixty-something chapters during finals week.**

**Katherine-san received the title of Excited Helpful Reader. It is a title given to one whose excitement about the story helped me post chapters faster.**

**Serena Anges-san received the title of Cameo Reviewer. It is a title given to one who enjoys the cameo characters.**

**ShioriSilverlake-san received the title of Stylistic Adventurer. It is a title given to one who enjoys the style and adventure of the story.**

**WildfireDreams-san received the title of Dedicated Reviewer. It is a title given to one who reviews quickly, even when fanfiction dot net is being a pain.**

**Hina-chan received the title of Romance Fan Artist. It is a title given to one who enjoys the romance in the story, and even drew the kiss in the play.**

**ShugoAddict-san received the title of Friendly Anonymous Reviewer. It is a title given to one who reviews anonymously, but is always so friendly and supportive.**

**Alvin-kun received the title of Credits Reviewing Friend. It is a title given to one who reviews on the credits, even if he didn't read all of the story. Thanks for the review and the congratulations, though!**

**All readers received the title of Long Adventure Reader. Thank you for reading this long adventure! I hope you enjoyed it!**


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